Spatial organization of open space in gated communitiesuser-oriented evaluation in terms of socio-economic components

Gated communities, which have become widespread all over the world with the effect of the globalisation movement, are today located in all cities of Turkey and are frequently preferred. Landscape design is mostly emphasised in high- budget housing presentations; open spaces and green areas are highlighted. In addition to a closed and secure living space, the spatial organisation of open spaces and the facilities offered constitute one of the most important bases of the lifestyle perception created in these settlements. In this context, the aim of the study is to investigate the extent to which landscape design is effective in housing preference and to determine which of the qualities of spatial use and status value predominate in the preference. In the study, "spatial organization of open space" and "socio-economic components" constitute the two main subjects of the research and they are handled together. In Atakum district of Samsun province, 7 high- budget closed housing estates were determined as the study area and 374 people living in these estates were surveyed. Spatial analyses were made to determine the current situation and detailed information about the sites was obtained by interviewing the relevant people. As a result of the study, it has been revealed that the facilities offered in areas defined by landscape design are very effective in user preference. The findings indicate that the preference levels for the use value of landscape spaces are higher than the status value and it is observed that the symbolic values of these spaces are much more important to the users than their area sizes.