Evaluation of Civic Vitality in Urban Squares: Case of Selimiye and Namik Kemal Squares

ABSTRACT: Urban Square as one of the urban space have an important role for city life. They act as main social node, meeting place and center from middle ages and an area for social activities. However, changing lifestyles and way of life led these areas to be used rarely by human beings. People prefer to have meet and/or communicate with their friends in city malls or through social media. Beside, changing social structure, the physical condition of the cities also makes people not to prefer to go urban squares especially in historic centers. Thus, these negative changes had effect on the vitality of urban squares.The Walled City of Famagusta and Nicosia in Cyprus are selected as a case study area to question the level of the civic vitality in the two squares, namely Selimiye and Namik Kemal squares. This research aims to thoroughly evaluate how the vitality of open spaces can be improved in the Selimiye and Namik Kemal Squares and to find the criteria that help to meet vitality in Public Open Space. This thesis organized in four chapters. In the fırst chapter an introduction is given. In the second chapter, urban square, its physical characteristics, vitality are explained. Criteria for achieving vitality in urban spaces are obtained from the literature and tested in case studies in the chapter 3. Methodology of the case study includes physical and social analyses together with observations. Finally, conclusion and recommendations are given in the fourth chapter. Keywords: Public Open Space, Square, Vitality, Namik Kemal Square, Selimiye Square. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………