An examination of çekmeköy national park in terms of arid landscape design principles

The Çekmeköy Millet Bahçesi, located in the Çekmeköy district of Istanbul, covers an area of 99,263 m² and provides important spaces for recreation and relaxation in urban life. In the 21st century, increasing global climate change has resulted in more frequent extreme temperatures and unusual weather events. Along with population growth and the rising value of water resources, these conditions make the efficient and sustainable use of water in such areas essential. In this context, design approaches for xeriscaping have become increasingly important. Since the introduction of the Millet Bahçesi concept in 2018, 292 Millet Bahçesi had been opened in Turkey by 2025, with many more still under development. Accordingly, the Çekmeköy Millet Bahçesi was selected as the study area, and its suitability was analyzed according to xeriscape design principles. This study differs from much of the existing literature, which generally evaluates either a single park or general xeriscape principles, by analytically assessing the suitability of a Millet Bahçesi for xeriscape at the park scale. The Çekmeköy Millet Bahçesi was evaluated using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), revealing the extent to which the area aligns with xeriscape design principles through numerical and objective criteria. This approach identifies both the strengths and weaknesses of current practices and provides a practical, measurable decision-support framework for the rapidly expanding Millet Bahçesi projects. In this regard, the study is original both methodologically and in terms of its application scope.