Visual quality analysis of Kastamonu natural parks

People's interests and therefore recreational demands vary in terms of their economic, psychological, social and cultural development levels. Forming of the recreational areas by developing them according to the needs and desires of the users is of great importance in terms of increasing the quality of the time users spend there and to enable users to benefit from these areas more efficiently. The purpose of the study is to determine the relationship between the user profile and visual landscape quality by analyzing the visual quality of recreational areas with different characteristics in Kastamonu and to evaluate the areas that were chosen as the cases of this study in terms of visual landscape quality. For this aim, visual quality analysis was carried out in Dipsizgöl Natural Park (Tosya), Şehit Şerife Bacı Tabiat Park (Kastamonu) and Yeşil Yuva Nature Park (Abana) in Kastamonu using Scenic Beauty Estimation Method. Within the scope of the study, a questionnaire was applied to 120 people using 30 photographs, 10 from each area. A total of 11 criteria were asked in the questionnaires and five options were presented. The obtained data were evaluated with the help of the 'SPSS 22.0' statistical package program, mean values were taken in the analyzes and compared using Spersman's correlation test and the results obtained by applying the chi-square test were interpreted. As a result of the study, it was determined that only Dipsiz Göl Nature Park got 4.28 points from the participants' scenery beauty parameters and all other sample areas were below 4 points from all other parameters. When the sample areas are compared with each other, it is determined that all parameters except the mobility parameter of Yeşil Yuva Nature Park are evaluated with lower scores compared to Dipsiz Göl Nature Park and Şehit Şerife Bacı Nature Park.