Bioclimatic comfort-focused settlement determination model

Sustainable settlements are planned by evaluating a number of criteria together. The climate criterion, one of these criteria, has been included in the process only as climate elements in many studies in the literature. A different approach was developed in the research, considering that using climate elements alone as parameters would not be sufficient in determining sustainable settlements. In the research, instead of the climate criterion, the bioclimatic comfort criterion, which expresses people's feelings about the air in their environment, was used as a result of the analyses carried out by using all the temporal, spatial, and human-related personal parameters together with the climate elements consisting of air temperature, humidity, wind speed, and cloudiness. The research was aimed at creating a bioclimatic comfort-oriented settlement determination model by applying it in Antalya city center and its immediate surroundings, considering the balance of protection and use of natural resources. For this purpose, first of all, the area boundaries covering Antalya city center and its immediate surroundings were created by combining 50 microbasins by using natural thresholds. Then, natural environment and bioclimatic comfort data sets were created. The bioclimatic comfort was calculated using the FES (physiological equivalent temperature) index in the RayMan model. The suitability coefficients of the criteria were determined through the analytical hierarchy process, and the suitability values of the sub-criteria were determined by using the literature and expert opinions. By synthesizing the criteria in the GIS environment, a suitable settlement map with bioclimatic comfort was produced. The produced suitability map was classified and evaluated according to the Jenk algorithm. The region is in the Csa climate type according to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification, and it has been determined that temporal and spatial thermal perception differences in the bioclimatic comfort conditions of the region occur at the seasonal level and especially during seasonal transitions. Suitable bioclimatic comfort conditions in the area occur at least twice, from the beginning of April to the end of May and from the beginning of October to the end of November, and for a maximum of four months. Tolerable bioclimatic comfort conditions occur in the area for at least seven and at most nine months, from the beginning of February to the end of June and from the beginning of September to the end of December. Unsuitable bioclimatic comfort conditions occur in the area for at least five and at most seven months, from the beginning of December to the end of March and from the beginning of July to the end of September. As a result of the research, it was determined that 21844.4 ha of land was suitable for a settlement with bioclimatic comfort, 38853.4 ha of land had the potential to be a settlement, and 42873.0 ha of land was not suitable for a settlement. In terms of spatial size, it has been determined that there are more lands suitable for settlement in Aksu and Konyaaltı districts than other districts, and that there are more lands in Kepez district that have the potential for settlement than other districts. It is envisaged that this study can provide significant contributions and guidance to decision-makers, planners, and managers in the planning of bioclimatic comfort-oriented settlements and, in this context, improve the quality of human life.