Changing consumption culture and development of new public spaces for leisure time activities: Ankara Atakule and Ankamall shopping centers

The transformation process of social practices has been started with the rise of the modernity project. During this transformation process new production models are introduced, institutional relations, social and spatial values are produced and gained new meaning. Leisure time has emerged as a new concept in social life and gained importance as an organizing element of social life at various stages. The concept of leisure time, as a significant result of modernism starts to change social values and becomes an effective part of society?s daily activities. Besides public spaces in cities consumption places gained importance for people to spend their leisure time by consumption activities. As a result of this, the advantage of leisure time enchancing trade and consumption activities, consumption centers became common in cities. Such spaces became proper places for leisure time activities besides meeting the requirements of the citizens. This thesis aims to investigate the development of leisure time as a new concept and transformation of social practices as a result of new consumption culture. Finally, the thesis focuses on the emergence of new public spaces, especially new age shopping centers developed as a result of this consumption culture and new vii concept of leisure time. The conceptual framework of the thesis will develop around the relation between the concept of; leisure time- space and leisure timeconsumption. As a case study in Ankara, Atakule Shopping Center which is the first shopping center in Ankara and a recent example Ankamall Shopping Center are evaluated in the thesis. By this way, transformation of consumption activities and leisure time activities developed in last 20 years and their reflection on spatial and social structure of public places are investigated.