İstanbul'da yenilenmiş meydanların restoratif potansiyellerinin değerlendirilmesi: Taksim ve Mecidiyeköy örneği
Evaluation of the restoration potential of renovated squares in Istanbul: Taksi̇m and Mecidiyeköy example
Yazar: EMİNE YÜCEYURT ADMIŞ
Danışman: DOÇ. DR. MELİH BOZKURT
İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi / Lisansüstü Eğitim Enstitüsü / Peyzaj Mimarlığı Ana Bilim Dalı / Peyzaj Mimarlığı Bilim Dalı
Derece: Yüksek Lisans, 2023
Konu: Peyzaj Mimarlığı = Landscape Architecture

Özet:
Toplumlar tarih boyunca yaşadıkları doğadan farklı şekillerde faydalanmışlardır. Doğa
her zaman insanın bir parçası olmuştur. Geçmişten günümüze toplumlar dinlenmek
için dere, nehir kenarlarını ziyaret etmiş, hafta sonları aileleriyle keyifli vakit
geçirebilmek için yeşil alanları tercih etmişlerdir. Fakat günümüzün yaşam tarzları
insanların daha fazla stresle başa çıkmasına neden olmakta ve bu da dünya çapındaki
şehirlerde psikolojik sorunlarına yol açmaktadır.
Günümüzdeki çalışmalara baktığımızda bilimsel olarak doğadaki faaliyetlere
yönelmeleri konusu aslında bireyin doğa ile iyileşmesi konusunu gündeme
getirmektedir. Daha önce yapılan araştırmalara göre yeşil alanların onarıcı özelliklere
sahip olduğu her zaman biliniyordu. Bu sebeple farklı meslek gruplarının farklı
şekillerde ilgilendiği iyileştirici bahçe tasarımları bu kıstasta karşımıza çıkmaktadır.
Doğanın karşısında tüm bireyler eşittir ve ondan eşit olarak faydalanabilmektedirler.
Bu bağlamda tüm toplumun doğanın iyileştirici özelliğinden her mekanda
yararlanması durumu ortaya çıkmaktadır. Doğa, topluma psikolojik, ruhsal, duygusal,
fiziksel olarak yararının yanı sıra sağladığı diğer beceriler ile güven, kişisel benlik,
sosyal uyum gibi psikososyal faydalar ile özgüvenlerine yönelik çalışmalar ortaya
koymaktadır.
Bu çalışma, Taksim ve Mecidiyeköy Meydanlarının restoratif potansiyellerine
odaklanmaktadır. Meydanlar şehir merkezlerinin genellikle insanların buluştuğu,
etkileşimde bulunduğu, sosyal bağlarını güçlendirdiği ve mimari açıcan simge haline
geldiği ortamlarıdır. Bir kentin kimliğini güçlendirmekle birlikte o kendi cazip hale de
getirmektedir. Bunun yanı sıra yeşil alanlara sahip meydanlar, şehir stresinden
uzaklaşma ve doğayla buluşma için ideal bir ortam sunabilmektedir. Bu sebeple
araştırmada İstanbul'un toplum tarafından en bilinen, kalabalık, yoğun kullanıma
sahip ve yeniden tasarlanıp düzenlenmiş meydanlarında çalışılmıştır. Toplumun
ihtiyaçları ve beklentileri dikkate alınarak meydanların tasarlanması, kullanımının
artırılması ve sürdürülebilirliğin sağlanmasının mümkün olduğu bu yaşadığımız
çevrede son yenilemelerden sonra ortaya çıkan iki meydanın yeşil alan potansiyelleri,
toplum tarafından nasıl algılandıkları ve bu meydanlarda daha çok nasıl vakit
geçirdikleri üzerine bir çalışma gerçekleştirildi. Ankette birinci kısım, demografik
bilgi içerikli soruların bulunduğu kısımdır. İkinci kısımda, Dikkat Restorasyonu
Teorisi (ART)'nin dört bileşenine (Büyülenme, Uzakta Olma, Kapsam, Uyumluluk)
dayanan Algılanan Onarıcılık Ölçeği (PRS)'nden alınan ifadeleri içermektedir.
Ankette, insanların kendilerine sunulan meydanlar ve yeşil alanlarla ilgili sorulara
karşı algılarını ve tepkilerini incelemek için ve İstanbul'da toplumun yeşil alana
erişimlerindeki genel durumu, meydanlarda nasıl ve ne sıklıkla vakit geçirdikleri ile
ilgili de sorulara yer verilmiştir. Bunun akabinde, üçüncü kısımda katılımcıya
meydanları daha çok nasıl ve ne için kullandığına dair 8 adet seçenek sunulmuştur.
Birden fazla yanıt kabul edilmiştir. Dördüncü kısımda meydanların 10 ergonomik
özelliği katılımcıya sunulmuştur. Beşinci kısım, genel olarak yaşadığımız şehrin
meydanlarının nasıl algılandığı ile ilgili soruları içermektedir. Altıncı ve son kısımda
ise katılımcının meydanları hangi sıklıkla ziyaret ettiğine, meydanlarda geçirdiği
zamana ve daha yeşil bir meydan görmek isteyip istemediklerine yönelik sorular
bulunmaktadır. Bu tezde 30 Taksim Meydanı, 30 Mecidiyeköy Meydanı olmak üzere
toplamda 60 kişi ile çalışılmıştır.
Bu tezin bulguları, kent meydanlarının yeşil alanlarının tasarımıyla görevli politika
yapıcılara ve planlamacılara, onarıcı eylem potansiyeli açısından insanların en çok
tercih ettiği kentsel yeşil alanın özellikleri hakkında bilimsel kanıtlar sunmaktadır.
Kentsel yeşil ortamlar istenilen özelliklere ve mekan tercihlerine göre tasarlanırsa
mekanların insanlar üzerinde algılanan onarıcı etkisi artacaktır. Bu çalışmada tespit
edilmiş Taksim ve Mecidiyeköy Meydanları ile ilgili bulgular gelecek araştırmalara
yön vermesi açısından önemlidir.

Abstract:
Throughout history, societies have benefited from the nature they live in in different
ways. Nature has always been a part of man. From past to present, societies have
visited streams and rivers to relax and preferred green areas to spend pleasant time
with their families on weekends. However, today's lifestyles cause people to deal with
more stress, resulting in psychological problems in cities around the world.
In modern society, the understanding that the individual's interaction with his physical
environment is related to the individual's health and well-being is increasingly
accepted, and this issue attracts the attention of different study disciplines. When we
look at today's studies, the issue of scientific orientation towards activities in nature
actually brings up the issue of healing the individual with nature. According to
previous research, it has always been known that green areas have restorative
properties. For this reason, healing garden designs that different professional groups
are interested in in different ways appear in this criterion. All individuals are equal
before nature and can benefit from nature equally. In this context, the entire society
everywhere benefits from the healing properties of nature. In addition to its
psychological, spiritual, emotional and physical benefits to society, nature also
provides psychosocial benefits such as trust, personal identity, social harmony and
self-confidence with the other skills it provides. Society and researchers worldwide
emphasize the role of nature in improving physical and psychological health and
meeting many human needs, such as aesthetic pleasure, social interaction, and identity.
City squares are a characteristic feature of many cities, especially European cities, that
embody history, identity and symbolic features. They are often designed to provide
different levels of green space, bring people together, and support recreation and social
activities.
This study focuses on the restorative potential of Taksim and Mecidiyeköy Squares.
The scope of this focus is to investigate the potential for increased contact with green
spaces in redeveloped squares to have a restorative impact on society. In this regard,
the aim is to determine the healing and restorative potential of renewed squares.
The study consists of five main sections. The first part is the introduction where
general information about the study is given. In the second chapter, the research is
discussed within the conceptual framework. In this section, the concept of
psychological restoration, human-nature relationship and the effects of contact with
nature on human health are discussed. Secondly, the concept of restoration and
restorative environments is included.
By explaining the definitions and concepts of restoration and theories, it is aimed to
make the theory to be used in the study more understandable. Attention Repair Theory,
which forms the basis of the study, is explained in detail.
Again, in this section, the squares that are the subject of the research are discussed by
What is a square? What is it used for? A chapter was written in which the questions
are examined and the restorative potential of the squares is investigated. In the third
section, the method that forms the basis of the research is discussed. All steps and data
outputs regarding the evaluation of the restorative potential of the renewed squares and
how they are perceived by the society are included in this section. For this reason, the
method of the research, where, with whom and how it was conducted are also included
in this section. This section first includes the purpose and scope of the research.
Secondly, it is explained how the study area was selected and how the study areas
Taksim and Mecidiyeköy squares were selected. In this section, the survey design is
included and its design and operation are explained. The first part of the survey
includes questions regarding demographic information. The second section includes
statements taken from the Perceived Restorative Scale (PRS), which is based on the
four components of Attention Restoration Theory (ART) (Fascination, Remoteness,
Scope, Compatibility). In addition to people's perceptions of the squares and green
areas offered to them and their reactions to the questions, the survey also included
questions such as the general situation of Istanbul society regarding access to green
areas, how and how often they spend time in the squares. squares. Following this, in
the third section, the participant was presented with 8 options regarding how and for
what purpose he/she uses the squares. Multiple answers accepted. In the fourth part,
10 ergonomic features of the squares were presented to the participants. The fifth
section includes questions about how the squares of the city we live in are generally
perceived. The sixth and last section includes questions about how often the participant
visits the squares, the time he spends in the squares, and whether he would like to see
a greener square. In this thesis, a total of 60 people were studied, 30 in Taksim Square
and 30 in Mecidiyeköy Square. In the fourth section, the findings we obtained from
the survey are explained with figures, charts and graphs. In the last section, the findings
are discussed in the context of both frames and direction is given for future studies.
As a result of the findings of the thesis, it was seen that the restorative effects were
shaped depending on the person's perception of space, experience and environmental
factors. Gender and marital status did not emerge as factors that could influence the
nature or quality of these experiences. This finding is important in terms of gender
equality and gender sensitivity in urban planning and landscape design. The findings
revealed that marital status and income did not have a direct effect on the restorative
effects of squares. That is, both male and female participants, single and married
participants, have the potential to derive the same level of psychological recovery from
the squares. This result shows that gender, marital status and income are not
determining factors in the interaction of squares with the natural environment. These
results show that Taksim and Mecidiyeköy squares are perceived similarly in the eyes
of their users and that both squares offer similar positive experiences to visitors. This
has shown that similar approaches and standards can be used in the design or
management of squares. However, since these results are based on subjective
experiences, it is important to remember that each individual may perceive and
evaluate the frames in different ways. It should also be noted that in this study, where
participants were evaluated only in terms of psychological recovery, other factors
(such as physical accessibility, security, environmental quality) were not taken into
account. While approximately half of Taksim Square users use the square for
transportation purposes, all of Mecidiyeköy Square users use the square for
transportation purposes. These results revealed the importance and density of
Most of the people who use both Taksim and Mecidiyeköy prefer the squares for
socializing and meetings. The fact that Taksim Square users use it for this purpose
shows how important the square is in terms of social interaction and community
gatherings.
Both all Taksim Square users and the majority of Mecidiyeköy Square users stated that
they would prefer the squares if they were clean. This shows that the maintenance and
cleaning standards of the squares are decisive in the preferences of the users.
Cleanliness can increase the attractiveness of squares and user satisfaction. The
majority of Taksim Square and Mecidiyeköy Square users stated that they believe that
having green areas in the squares will make them happier. This result shows that
increasing green areas in city squares may have positive effects not only on physical
health but also on mental and emotional health. It has been observed that there are
some differences in the attitudes of those using Taksim and Mecidiyeköy squares
towards green areas. This shows that the perception and demands for green space may
differ in different regions of the city.
As a result, the findings of this thesis provide scientific evidence to policy makers and
planners involved in the design of green areas in city squares about the characteristics
of urban green areas that people prefer most in terms of their restorative action
potential. If urban green environments are designed according to the desired features
and space preferences, the perceived restorative effect of the spaces on people will
increase. The findings determined in this study regarding Taksim and Mecidiyeköy
Squares are important in terms of guiding future research.