Examining the elements that affect open public space use in context of public parks: Case study of Luleburgaz Genclik Park

The rapid increase in urbanization with the Industrial Revolution has revealed new living conditions. Living conditions and daily routines of life have begun to change. The change of lifestyle had big impacts on the physical and social effects of cities on human life. New spatial requirements have emerged for urban societies trying to keep up with new living conditions. Urban societies needed to adapt to new living conditions have space requirements at different scales. Among these areas, green areas are at the top of the list, helping urbanites to spend time together and reduce the pressure on the individual that urban life has created. The need for open spaces where urban citizen can spend time together and where they can conceal the unhealthy living conditions in the cities has become a preoccupation for the creation of public spaces of different sizes. Public spaces, which constitute an important part of urban life, have undergone constant changes like living organisms with the changing structures of cities and societies for centuries. For this reason, the public open spaces started get shaped in accordance with the type of users and their needs. The public spaces that reflect the characteristics of the periods are shaped according to the various requirements of the users and users. It is seen that the production and use of public open space does not increase at the same rate as the human density increases day by day. In this case, what are the factors that affect the use of public open space? From this question, the answer to this question was sought through parks which are the easiest and most common public areas to be reached in the cities in this thesis study. In this context, the factors that affect use of public space were examined and evaluated within the context of public parks within the scope of this thesis study. The criterias of using public open space were examined through literature examples and the theoretical framework was established in this context. These factors affect the use of public space; Usage and Activities, Accessibility and Connections, Comfort and Image, Sociability. According to the criterias and subheadings formed in this direction, a small public park which has active user population was selected and a case study was carried out. The findings of the field study based on the results of the questionnaire survey with the users and the personal observation were explained. The proposed hypotheses have been confirmed and relevant proposals have been proposed in the light of the results obtained. This thesis study, which examines the factors affecting the field use of public open space users in the context of parks, consists of five parts. The purpose, scope, methodology and hypothesis of working in the introductory section, which the workshop outlines, are included. The theoretical sub-structure of working in the second and third sections was established. In the fourth part of the field study, xxiii observations and questionnaire data were given. In the final section, which is the fifth chapter, a general evaluation was made and suggestions were made. In the first part of the theoretical framework, the concept of park in the frame of public space and the formation of parks in historical process have been mentioned. Recreational, social, ecological, aesthetic, economical functions of parks in cities are mentioned and the roles of parks in cities are awarded and the role of the public in parks is mentioned. In the third section, which constitutes the second step of the theoretical framework, the factors that shape the human use of the parks are explained by explaining the details of the user and the park relation by referring to the dimension of the public and the community of the parks as public space. When these factors are determined, the use of public space has been exploited in studies and resources in developed countries. Four main factors influencing public space use are; Usage and activities, accessibility and links, comfort and image, sociality were examined in detail through parks. To summarize parks with active and successful use of the factors that arise in this context, parks should address different age and social groups by providing different uses and activities, have a strong connection with the city, satisfy users in terms of comfort and image, and finally, It should be possible. In this context, in the fourth chapter; has been chosen as the working area of the Gençlik Park, the oldest and largest green area of Lüleburgaz, which is an active and small city with public use. While choosing the study area, it has been thought that a small city can bring a new approach to work. The questionnaire prepared by using the activities and uses, accessibility and connections, comfort and image, sociality topics was made by the author of the Gençlik Park and the author by chance method of sampling. According to the results of the questionnaire survey, Gençlik Park has various uses and activities for its users, appealing to users from various age groups and social groups, having a strong connection with the city, satisfying the users in terms of comfort and image and finally enabling the users to socialize Has come out. The hypotheses put forward on this issue have been confirmed and relevant proposals have been proposed in the light of the results obtained. In the fifth section, a conclusion is given about the study. Accordingly, it is obvious that the factors examined during the study affect the use of the park by the users of the Gençlik Park, which is a small city park. It is envisaged that the recommendations made in the context of the survey in this context will increase the satisfaction of park users and the use of parking. However, it is known that in Turkey, which has experienced the urbanization process very rapidly, the majority of the society has not acquired the urbanization culture. It is seen that most of the park users actively use the other public spaces in the city as well, that users come to the park and spend time here in their daily / weekly habits if the end result of the work is generalized and they are aware of the functions parks have undertaken in the cities. In this case, it would not be wrong to say that the proposals made as a result of the survey study will not increase the satisfaction of existing users and attract more new users, but it is also necessary to have a more radical solution in the country. Urbanization, the use of public space as a part of the cultural product of living in the city, and the need to increase public awareness through the teaching and teaching of urban awareness. Individual awareness is important for ensuring that societies are effective in creating open-green spaces. However, helping the community to take ownership of public spaces will affect the use of parks through the creation of a conscious public open-green space production and management system provided by city administrators, city planners, landscape architects and citizens. Key words: Use of Public Space, Urban Green Area, Public Parks, Environment and Behaviour, City Culture, Citizen Consciousness