ANALYSING URBAN WALKING EXPERIENCES IN A GATED HOUSING NEIGHBORHOOD IN ISTANBUL

ABSTRACT

Research which is presented in this paper mainly concentrates on “gated housing settlements” focusing on resident’s urban walking experiences. Today, in Turkey as well as in other countries round the globe, there is a rise and growing popularity in gated housing settlements. In many parts of the world, there are some differences and similarities when comparing them, but their main characteristics is that they are isolated from public urban spaces. They have extended walls around and gates with securities which restrict access and seperate them form the exterior world. Consequently, urban public spaces remain in between the closed circles of the settlements are consist of streets, parking areas and sidewalks which are surrounded by high borders of the settlements. A research was conducted and a case study was done to analyse and explore the urban walking experiences in the selected neighborhood in Istanbul. The study used observations, interviews and spatial analyses in order to understand and compare the citizens’ perceptions of public spaces which are left in between the gated settlements.

Keywords: Gated housing, urban design, housing design, environmental behavior.