Evaluation of Public Space Use According to Different Socio-Economic Structures

The transformations that public spaces experience with the period and society they are in have been considered as a collapse by some researchers, as a revival by some, and as a normal process by others. However, the common features expected from public spaces are; providing opportunities for social life, having various uses and activities, providing access and connections, and having a special identity and image. For this research, which aims to determine whether there is a difference between the uses of public spaces with different socio-economic levels and the quality perceptions of the users in these areas, and if there are, what causes this difference, the hypothesis “there are significant differences between the uses, perceptions and expectations of public spaces with different socio-economic levels” was developed. As the study area, 4 neighborhood parks from neighborhoods with different socio-economic structures were selected in Istanbul, where very rapid spatial changes are experienced with the effect of economic policies. Observation and verbal interview methods were used in the parks selected from these neighborhoods with different socio-economic structures. The oral interview data obtained in the field study were analyzed using the Code Matrix Scanning with the MAXQDA program used in the analysis of qualitative data in social sciences, and thus the research questions were answered and the hypothesis was tested. As a result, the similarities and differences between the attitudes and perceptions of different socio-economic groups towards public space were revealed. It is thought that this research will contribute especially to the analysis and evaluation of qualitative data in spatial planning and design studies.