Academic Thesis-EsraB

AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC GREEN SPACE ACCESSIBILITY IN ANKARA WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AND RIGHT TO THE CITY

(M. Sc. Thesis)

Esra BAYTEKİN

GAZİ UNIVERSITY

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF NATURAL AND APPLIED SCIENCES

June 2022

ABSTRACT

The concept of "sustainable city", which started to develop with the aim of solving the urban problems encountered with rapid urbanization and population growth, has started to be adopted by central and local governments in cities in accordance with the 11th goal of the UN. Policies implemented in urban planning with the goal of "sustainable city" bring along basic development problems such as access to necessary services for those living in developing countries, making it difficult to implement urban social sustainability. One of the practices that affect quality of living environment and health of society is whether the principle of equality of right to the city is provided in accessing public green spaces in the city. In this study, accessibility levels of public green spaces in Ankara were measured empirically and evaluated in the context of social sustainability and right to the city. Buffer analysis was made for the public green areas in the settled areas of nine central districts of Ankara and 500 meters walking distance was determined as a service area. Demographic, socio-economic, road network characteristics, centrality level and living environment variables of the neighborhoods located in the service area were collected in the database by examining variables with relational statistical analysis methods. In the study, four different models were constructed with regression analysis specific to neighborhood and urban park scales, and opportunities offered by spatial distribution of public green spaces to citizens of different socio-economic status and demographic structures were discussed. In the analysis findings, it was observed that when SES level in the city increased, accessibility of public green spaces increased and accessibility levels of the neighborhoods around the city parks were low. As a result of the study, it has been proposed to improve accessibility levels of road network around the public green spaces and the large public green space serving the city in the neighborhoods with low SES levels. This study provides a rational and systematic way to urban planners in empirical measurement of public green space accessibility in the context of social sustainability and right to the city.

Science Code : 80208

Key Words : Social sustainability, right to the city, accessibility, public green area, spatial based statistical analysis

Page Number : 153

Supervisor : Prof. Burcu Halide OZUDURU

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