Examining the Wayfinding Process in Urban Access Networks Based on Gestalt Perceptual Concept (Case Study: Old and New Context of Kerman City)

Nowadays, by the development of cities, the relationship between humans and the surrounding environment in addition to translating this relationship into architectural elements, has been widely explored. One of the main concepts in the process of urban design is wayfinding. Humans find their direction in urban spaces mostly by the means of urban signage. Therefore, by moving through the city, a clear image of the environment should be formed in the individual’s mind in order to collect the visual information and comparing the recorded images, proceeds to find the correct direction. That is why simplifying the human’s perception of the urban environment might be one of the primary and necessary stages of urban design.  The present study object is to identify the influencing factors of legibility and illegibility of urban spaces in regards to facilitating the wayfinding process in both the old and new context of the historical city of Kerman with desert architecture and design. The present research is qualitative in nature. The research method is descriptive-analytic, and data were analyzed inductively. The data collection was conducted using library documents, field notes, and observations. Analyzing the case studies, it was observed that the wayfinding process in the old context of Kerman can be done much easier and more rapidly than the new context. The results indicated that wayfinding in the old context, due to the proper utilization of urban signage and landmarks that help the environment to be perceived better, is done more conveniently than the new context. The results of this study can help the urban designers and relevant decision-makers to use exclusive methods and create a more legible environment.