Page 66 - EER-2-1

Explora: Environment
and Resource Sustainable urban park design

Table 9. The loadings of each variable after rotation using the 80% of Altinpark users spent 30 min or less traveling to
rotated component matrix the park. In a study investigating the reasons for using
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the park, “getting fresh air and spending time in nature”
Design Component
element 1 2 3 4 5 6 ranked first, followed by “being a park where you can visit
with your family.” In the same study, the other top reasons
K1 0.089 0.190 0.047 0.069 0.152 0.647 included “relaxing physically and mentally,” “spending
K2 0.130 −0.009 0.233 0.019 0.161 0.705 time with friends,” and “having a picnic.” Another study
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K3 0.334 0.014 0.217 0.025 0.674 0.072 found that 45% of the participants came to the park for
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K4 0.160 −0.011 0.071 0.384 0.676 0.030 walking or excursion and 35% for recreation. The park
K5 0.088 0.198 0.193 0.015 0.676 0.313 provides a conducive environment for recreation with its
expansive green spaces and abundant trees (Figure 4).
K6 0.285 0.064 0.716 0.185 0.070 0.106
However, entertainment opportunities within the park are
K7 −0.028 0.351 0.672 0.033 0.244 0.109
limited as one user stated, “A nice park suitable for walking,
K8 −0.047 0.437 0.676 0.032 0.267 0.071 there are not many attractions, it is not suitable for friends
K9 0.209 0.272 0.555 −0.101 0.322 0.007 looking for fun, but it is ideal for fairs and walking.”
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K11 0.372 0.199 0.266 −0.027 0.508 0.190 While the park undoubtedly contributes to the quality of
K12 0.408 0.076 0.490 0.122 −0.092 0.306 life for residents with its extensive facilities, some suggest
K13 0.435 0.037 0.346 0.316 −0.006 0.205 that it has declined compared to its early years. Specifically,
K14 0.732 0.041 0.357 0.037 0.135 0.015 the science center’s experimental equipment has not
been updated to reflect technological advancements. In
K15 0.693 0.085 0.061 0.152 0.261 0.076 addition, many park facilities have been converted into
K16 0.440 0.237 −0.045 0.355 −0.020 0.484 commercial enterprises such as restaurants, wedding halls,
K17 0.632 0.266 0.130 0.020 0.229 0.050 tea gardens, and buffets. The privatization of the 23 Nisan
K18 0.599 0.245 −0.062 0.295 −0.097 0.364 Children’s Culture Center, the first of its kind in Turkey,
K19 0.461 0.568 0.149 −0.012 0.055 0.231 and its conversion into a kindergarten, the abandonment
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K20 0.483 0.115 0.386 0.331 0.014 −0.015 of the mini golf course, the cessation of fishing in the
pond, and the organization of low-attendance fairs at the
K22 0.597 0.396 −0.007 0.102 0.270 0.085 fair center have all contributed to a perceived decline in
K23 0.591 0.294 −0.034 0.204 0.105 0.020 the park’s unique characteristics and vibrancy compared to
K24 0.176 0.597 0.008 0.318 0.054 0.212 its earlier years.
K25 0.307 0.624 0.121 −0.119 0.259 0.088
4.3.3. Social quality
K26 0.177 0.749 0.219 0.132 0.095 0.099
K27 0.158 0.776 0.211 0.170 −0.013 0.023 Numerous Tripadvisor comments about Altinpark on
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K28 0.196 0.767 0.202 0.150 0.001 0.037 social media highlight its suitability for children. The
K29 0.375 0.331 0.285 0.439 −0.043 0.089 park features many children-friendly areas, such as horse-
riding areas, mini trains, a go-kart track, a skating rink,
K30 0.414 0.565 0.190 0.187 −0.006 0.176 a science center, an amusement park, playground toys
K31 0.187 0.136 0.064 0.800 0.138 0.023 in various parts of the park, and a Smurfs’ house. These
K32 0.050 0.225 0.065 0.812 0.117 0.113 areas are designed to be suitable for children. While no
Note: Extraction method: Principal component analysis. obstacles are preventing elderly and disabled individuals
Rotation method: Varimax with Kaiser normalization. from using the park, on-site observations suggest that the
usage of the park by these groups of individuals is limited.
the park. Real estate advertisements in the region often A study found that the majority of users are between 25
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emphasize the proximity to or views of Altinpark. and 34 years old, whereas users aged 45 and over are less
common. The senior citizens’ club in Altinpark has more
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4.3.2. Life quality than 2,000 members (Figure 5). One of the club members
The park is located near the airport road, providing easy expressed her satisfaction by saying, “I have been coming
access from central points of Ankara, such as Kizilay, to Altinpark Elderly Club for almost a year. We love this
Sihhiye, and Ulus. The park is accessible through numerous place. Their staff is very friendly. Sometimes singers come,
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public transportation lines and offers a parking lot with a sing, and we accompany them. Everything is beautiful.”
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capacity of 1,200 vehicles. Pedestrians can enter the park Furthermore, an initiative called Barrier-Free Ankara
through various entrance gates. A study indicated that stated that the park is disabled-friendly due to its wheelchair

Volume 2 Issue 1 (2025) 10 doi: 10.36922/eer.5839