Kamusal meydanlarda kullanıcı ihtiyaçları üzerine bir araştırma: Gaziosmanpaşa Meydanı örneği
A research upon needs in public squares: Gaziosmanpaşa example
Yazar: AYŞIN OKULDAŞ
Danışman: ÖĞR. GÖR. CEM BEYGO
İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi / Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü / Şehir ve Bölge Planlama Ana Bilim Dalı / Kentsel Tasarım Bilim Dalı
Derece: Yüksek Lisans, 2015
Konu: Mimarlık = Architecture ; Peyzaj Mimarlığı = Landscape Architecture ; Şehircilik ve Bölge Planlama = Urban and Regional Planning

Özet:
İlk kurulan şehirlerden günümüze dek, halkın toplanma ve etkileşme alanı olarak meydanlar, şehirlerde önemli bir yere sahip olmuşlardır. Tüm kent halkına eşit kullanım olanağı sunması gereken bu açık alanlar, toplumdaki sosyal ayrışmanın da çözümüne katkıda bulunan mekanlardır. Bu kamusal açık alanlarda, kent insanının, kentle ve diğer kentlilerle ilişki kurması sağlanır. Böyle büyük bir öneme sahip kamusal alanın, kullanıcısının ihtiyaçlarına cevap verecek nitelikte olması gerekmektedir. 
Bu çalışmada, meydanların kamusal mekan olarak karşılamaları gereken kullanıcı ihtiyaçlarını ortaya koymak, kent insanına pozitif katkı sağlayacağı düşünülen ihtiyaçların dünyadaki meydan örnekleri ve literatürdeki farklı görüşlerden faydalanılarak irdelenmesi ve seçilen çalışma alanı üzerinde somut verilerle analiz edilmesi hedeflenmiştir.
Giriş kısmı olarak yazılan birinci bölüm problemin tanımını yaptıktan sonra; tezin amacını, literatür kapsamını, yöntemini ve genel çerçevesini özetlemektedir. İkinci bölüm kentteki belki de en önemli kamusal alan olan meydanın kavramsal analizini yaparak başlamaktadır. Meydanın tanımlanmasını takiben, tarihsel süreci aktarılmıştır. Dünya'daki ve Türkiye'deki meydanların tarih içerisindeki değişimleri, Antik Çağ'dan günümüze kadar incelenmiş ve literatürden farklı görüşler aktarılarak genel çerçeve oluşturulmaya çalışılmıştır. Bu incelemeler sonucu, antik çağlardan bu yana, meydanın sadece kentsel dokudaki odak noktaları ve toplanma alanları olarak değil, politik ve dini gücün de sergilendiği kamusal alanlar olarak işlediği görülmektedir.
Tezin odak noktasını oluşturan üçüncü bölümde ise başarılı ve yaşayan bir kamusal meydan için öncelikli hedefin insan olduğu düşüncesinden hareketle, tasarlanan bu alanlarda karşılanması gereken kullanıcı ihtiyaçları, literatürdeki görüşler yardımıyla tespit edilmiştir. Konfor, rahatlama, pasif katılım, aktif katılım ve keşfetme ihtiyaçları olarak seçilen başlıklar örneklerle açıklanmıştır. 
Dördüncü bölümde ise İstanbul'un geç dönem gelişme alanlarından olan Gaziosmanpaşa İlçesi'nin odak noktasında bulunan meydan hakkında genel bilgiler verilip tarihsel süreç içerisinde geçirdiği değişimler kısaca aktarılmıştır. 1950'li yıllardan itibaren yoğunlaşmaya başlayan bu alan, Türkiye'nin çeşitli bölgelerinden aldığı göçlerle kozmopolit bir yapıya sahip olmuştur. Kentin giderek önem kazanan bu alanının, kentsel dönüşüm süreciyle birlikte daha çok kullanıcıya hizmet vereceği öngörülmektedir. Bu yüzden, üçüncü bölümde aktarılan kullanıcı ihtiyaçlarının çalışma alanında irdelenmesi ve varsa eksiklerin tespit edilmesi yoluyla, alanın mekansal kalitesinin arttırılması yönünde rehber olması amaçlanmıştır. Son bölümde ise kullanıcı ihtiyaçlarının ve çalışma alanının genel değerlendirmelerine yer verilmiştir.

Abstract:
From the first cities until today, squares have a great role in the cities, as the gathering and interaction point of the citizens. These open areas should ensure equal access to the public. In thıs way, these places can make contribution to social dissociation. In these public open spaces, the person can interact with the city and other citizens. For this reason, a public space with such a great importance, should answer the users' requirements.  
In this study, it is aimed to propound the necessities that squares, as urban spaces, should provide and to analyse these necessities, that will positively affect the city life, by examples around the world and different arguments from literature. These findings will be analysed on the chosen research area via physical datas.  
The first part as an introduction, after defining the problem, explains the aim, literature scope, study method and outline of the thesis. 
The second part starts with cognitive analyse of the square, which is probably the most important public space of the city. Following square definitions, historical progress of the square is conveyed. The evolution of the square is examined from Antique ages until today and the general framework is tried to establish by conveying different views from the literature. Thereupon, it is seen that, square is used as not only a focus point and gathering area, but also as a place that politic and religious power are displayed. 
At the third part, as the focal point of the thesis; the necessities that should be met is clarified with the help of the arguments from the literature. The main idea of this chapter is arise from the thought that the main target of the public square is the humankind. It is understood that, in addition to basic human physical needs, pyschological and social needs are also important for the humankind. For this reason, selected necessities are studied and examplified. Comfort, relaxation, passive engagement, active engagement and discovery are the selected titles for this study. These items are tried to be explained briefly hereinbelow: 
Comfort, defined as a basic need, is a determinant that ease human life. It is needed while the other daily routines are done. Considering that the square is not only a passage from one point to another, but also a stop over place in the city, comfort is probably the most important issue. Comfort can be separated into three sub-titles; physical, social and psychological comfort. For instance; providing places that protect from weather and creating spaces that can adopt to the changing weathers will meet the user's physical comfort.  Also, placing adequate seating elements is one of the main issues, to make people spend time in this place and to make use of all possibilities that the square offer. The physical comfort of these seating elements will be carefully considered, because this  matter is essential for the time span that user will spend there. Pedestrian circulation is also another important issue, considering that the square is on the intersection of the movement and the center of the public node. A square should be easly accesible, so that many users prefer to be there. Traffic routes and transportation should be considered according to pedestrians. Design of pedestrian routes, floor pavements, staircase dimensions, ramp slopes are very critical for the circulation in the square and should be considered according to ergonomic criterias. To extend the time that is spend in the square, social comfort is very essential as well as the physical comfort. Seating arrangment is the main issue here. Square should contain different type of seating elements that will meet the requirements of different kind of groups and individuals. In that way, one may choose to interact with the others or isolate himself/herself from others. With different type of users, the public open space will be a more lively part of the city. At last but not the leats, psychological comfort should be provided in the public space. Safe and secure places should be designed to prevent the user from dangers that comes from the others. The public square will be preferd and used as long as the user feel safe and secure there.   
Besides, relaxation is both physical and emotional need. Square should provide a place that the citizen can give a brief pause from his/her daily routine and relax. In that way, public square can avail to the city life and citizens. The relaxing athmosphere can be supplied with landscape such as trees and water elements integrate with the seating places. 
Likely, passive engagement provides a sense of relaxation but it differs in that it involves the need for an encounter with the setting, albeit without becoming actively involved. Watching the movement in the square and the other people, directly serves to that need. Sitting places toward pedestrian flows, restaurant and cafes viewing the activities and movement in the square will meet user's passive engagement need. 
In comparison with passive engagement, active engagement represents a more direct experience with a place and people in it. There is more direct contact with the people in the square and it encourages a sense of social connection, increasing opportunities for interaction. Users can be socialize with the help of some activities that bring them together. Ceremonies, celebrations and festivals that is organized by the administrative  bodies will provide such an athmosphere. 
Lastly, discovery need is an important cognitive need that should be met in public open places. It represents the desire for stimulation and the delight we all have in new, pleasurable experiences. The diversity in the physical design and the changing vistas in the place can meet this need. The need of learning, is also related with discovery need. The place should provide the stimulation that enables user's interest to endure and shoul provide spaces that user  meet the discovery need with the components that himself/herself bring.
After theoretical analysis, at the fourth part, it is concentrated on the chosen research area where is the main square of Gaziosmanpaşa. This chapter starts with a brief information about the area and displays the evolution of the area from 1950's until today.
Gaziosmanpaşa is on of the biggest and crowded district of İstanbul, and it is in the late development area of the city. The district is at the European side of Istanbul and it is one of the biggest and crowded district of the city. This area is a cosmopolite district with its inhabitants that have been come from different part of Turkey, after 1950's. The first settlement in the area is seen at 1830's, in the Ottoman period. According to resources, a small population of Rums were settled at the area. After that, in 1950's, settlement in the area has started to change rapidly, with Balkan and Kyrm immigrants. Coming to 1970's, with rapid urbanization, Gaziosmanpaşa started to host native immigrants from east, southeast and north part of Turkey. As a result, the district has became a cosmopolite settlement and the population rapidly increased until today. Moreover, it is predicted that, this area will serve more inhabitant after urban transformation projects are implemented. As the node of the district, Gaziosmanpaşa Square has great importance in inhabitants lifes. From 1980's until today, many changes has been held in the area. The area redesigned by almost all mayors that came in charge. These changes througout the history is tried to shown in fourt chapter, broadly. Because this area is a center between all residential, administrative and commercial buildings; it is currently used by many people. However, that does not mean the square serves well. On the contrary, the study area still has many problems and is not properly serve to the crowd. Besides, the study area has been divided physically into four pieces throughout the time. These areas divided mainly by the vehicle roads, and big elevation differences in the settling of the areas creates seperation between the pieces.   
Therefore, to increase spatial quality of the area, it is aimed to be a guide by examining the formerly clarified user needs at the area and by determining missing items. Comfort, relaxation, passive engagement, active engagement and discovery needs are researched in Gaziosmanpaşa Square with the help of site observations. The study area has been observed and visual maps are created as a result of that observations. These visual maps are supported with the photographs that is taken from the site. 
The fifth and the last part includes evaluations of the previous chapters and the research area upon the user needs that is indicated in third and fourth chapters. According to those evaluations, it can be summurized as; the research area does not meet the user needs except accesibility from outside of the district and security.