An Analysis on the Proximity of Green Spaces in Housing Environments

ABSTRACT: The appropriate design of the green space may improve the quality of housing environment relying on its visual, physical and psychological impact on urban dweller’s life. Recent research shows that people have constantly attempted to alter their living environment through involving with green spaces especially in their housing periphery. The urban greenery such as green yards, gardens and parks, which are built to cover up the lack of green spaces in the cities become one of the important issues for urban life. As a result, the level of accessibility and permeability of greeneries within the cities, in fact, affect the residents' level of satisfaction and the quality of life. The current study applies the proximity concept as an important tool for reading interrelations between housing environment and the green spaces in various contexts from the single house building to the urban scale. The thesis is aimed to support the argument of greenery’s impact on the quality of residential life by the means of a thorough literature review of the introductory chapter. Then it focuses on proximity concept and importance of accessibility to green spaces in two different housing typologies as samples. The first case is a standard housing neighborhood which consists of row semi detached houses and located in a Nicosia city in North Cyprus. Second one is “sheshsad dastgah” located in Mashhad city in Iran which formed by apartment blocks. Case studies are selected from two different countries in order to understand the role of culture to define the model of proximity, which is based on the cultural distances. The results showed that proximity to greenery provide an opportunity for residents to extend their activities to outdoor spaces and increase the feeling of belonging to the neighborhood. Residents use plants as a flexible tool to modify the level of privacy in their living environment, and define their territory. Through the observations of proximity to green spaces within four hundred meters from the home to the green spaces and in reach of maximum 5 minute time period, increase the resident satisfaction and encouraged them to participate in the outdoor activities. Since current urban development regulations and production methods of multiple-family units limits dwellers access to green spaces on the ground level, this study suggested to recreate the vertical green spaces such as green facades, green balconies and roof gardens to provide a new perspective in proximity of green spaces. Keywords: Housing environment, Green spaces, proximity, territory, privacy. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………