Abstract
Since the 1970’s, construction of the Bosphorus Bridge and the new highways, the rise in the use of private cars have increased the accessibility in Istanbul. Besides, Istanbul has gone through a structural transformation, becoming a multi-centred city. Such factors have naturally accelerated the decentralization of housing areas in Istanbul. Since the 1990’s, the preferences of the people from the elite social classes in Istanbul have shifted from the heterogeneous housing areas to homogenous places isolated from the dense central areas of Istanbul. As a result, mass housing areas have spread rapidly in the peripheries of the city. In this new transformation, the elite people living in such mass housing areas have found a chance to obtain their cultural and social expectations. This phenomenon has gained significance due to the demand for the northern and north- eastern districts of the city since the 1999 earthquake in the Marmora Region. Since we know the patterns of housing area development and density change, the potential future developments can be anticipated. The researches carried out until now have demonstrated that quality of the residence and residential environment is influential in the overall resident satisfaction. In terms of environmental quality variables such as basic urban services and amenities, it has been determined that the housing areas within the scope the project have high standards. As a result of this fact, people from high income group tend to choose housing areas in the peripheries of the city. This purpose of this article is to assess the factors that improve housing and environmental quality satisfaction in gated single-family and non-gated mass housing developments in Istanbul
