Planning and application process of city squares: A comparative study between Antalya Cumhuri̇yet and Konyaalti city squares

The city squares being the most important public place, reflect the physical, social and economic characteristics and the identity of the city itself. In Turkey, the planning and implementation process of the city squares began in the Period of Republic. They are particularly created as open spaces in front of the governor's office and used for the national ceremonies or various meetings. Two city squares are exist in the city of Antalya, namely Cumhuriyet Square and Konyaaltı Square. The Cumhuriyet Square was first used as an open space for commercial purposes outside the city walls in 1850's. In 1974 it was designed as the city square by placing the National Yükseliş Monument. The Konyaaltı Square was inaugurated in 2006. The area was previously owned by the General Directorate of Highways and the area, 67,500 m² in size was transferred to Konyaaltı Municipality with a metropolitan plan revision. In this study a comparative analysis of the Cumhuriyet and Konyaaltı squares in the city of Antalya was carried out in the planning and implementation processes; the perception of city squares by the public was collected through a questionnaire survey and the identity of the squares were investigated.