Influence of relationship between closed and open spaces on residential satisfaction: Fulya case study

The topic of this research is concerning with issues that affect directly our daily life inside and outside our homes; the research is applied on a residential area. Life experiences are gotten from practicing life activities in the spaces. In this research these spaces are categorized into two categories: positive spaces (solid), which are the built area and the negative, spaces (void) which are the open areas. So for every activity a specific space with specific conditions is needed in order to practice that activity safely and easily. The residential area is an environment where embraces inhabitants from all ages; that is why it should be an inclusive environment which fulfills its inhabitants' needs. This research is going to highlight the influence of relationship between positive and negative spaces and attached buildings on the residents' satisfaction. Factors that increase residents' satisfaction and those that indicate satisfaction are studied. Briefly, satisfaction can be achieved when the spaces and their relation to each other match the residents' requirements for practicing different residential activities. This research is chosen to be in Istanbul; since I figured out the problem in its residential environment when I came to Istanbul and become one of its residents, I noticed that the positive spaces in the residential environment occupied very large areas due to high population density, but the importance of negative spaces in our environments should not be forgotten as they have fundamental functions and roles in the daily life. The selected region of study is Fulya neighborhood, which follows Sisli district; it has a central location, high population density, and crowded buildings. In order to measure the level of Fulya's residents' satisfaction, the observation and the questionnaire (structured interview) methods were used. The conclusion is that Fulya's residents complain from the absence of different open spaces and being not so comfortable with the physical features of their dwellings, also they said that the cars and buildings occupied almost all areas and there are no spaces for humans. On the other hand, they get used to their environment; they consider that it is better than many other residential environments in Istanbul, and they like its central location.