Examination of residences and public spaces relations within social segregation and spatial fragmentation: In the case of Ataköy

Today, cities are places that are changing and transforming constantly with economic, social, cultural and politic events as well as in history. People have chosen individual lifes due to developments of transportation and communication with globalization; increase of danger with rapid population growth and increase of fear about this situation; polarization between social and economic classes. While people withdraw their personal spaces, reflection of this understanding could be seen on spatial organizations. Specializing place to different groups fragment and segregate cities as social and spatial with sharpening limit. In this transformation process upper and upper-middle classes have started to search different places which have similarities with other global cities. Enclosed residential areas and gated communities are emerged in real estate market as an answer for those searches. Enclosed residential areas reflects social and economic conflicts in global cities; uneasiness from necessity of living with different people. Enclosed residential areas put forward as one of the factor triggered this separation by creating boundaries in the city. In the same time, that kind of settlement leads to privatization of public spaces by limiting accesses to "safe", "groomed" and "clean" outdoor common areas which they served as a privilege. They change public- private space border not just inside their areas, they also cause negative effect on public spaces in outside of their areas. Residents living in that kind of settlement retreat into their private areas. Thus usage of public spaces is decreased and these areas become being dysfunctional. In this study first, enclosed residential areas and gated communities will be examined. After that, notions of public spaces, social segregation and spatial fragmentation will be defined and relation between those notions and enclosed residential areas will be explained. Finally, it will be questioned that "how residences and public spaces relations will be and how it should be designed to increase social interaction?". Reducing social and spatial segregation is expected with designing public spaces as accessible for different groups and providing public- private spaces balance. Because public spaces can make people bring together and create encounter place to communicate with different people. In the case study, 5 areas are chosen in Ataköy/Istanbul considering accessibility differences. Residences and public places relation will be examined with analyzes, observations and interviews. It will try to find features which are effected relations of residences and public spaces positively or negatively. Keywords: Enclosed Residential Areas, Gated Communities, Public Space, Social Segregation, Spatial Fragmentation, Residential Areas, Dwellings