Vol. 17 No. 1 (2020): Data and Analysis
Articles

Occupants creating their own spaces without thinking as a real designer: A revolt and a routine

Elif Merve Alpak
Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Forestry, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey

Published 2020-04-01

Keywords

  • Behavioral patterns,
  • Unusual uses,
  • Revolt,
  • Routine

How to Cite

Merve Alpak, E. (2020). Occupants creating their own spaces without thinking as a real designer: A revolt and a routine. A|Z ITU JOURNAL OF THE FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE, 17(1), 85–94. https://doi.org/10.5505/itujfa.2019.26539

Abstract

Urban design literature refers to the spatial characteristics of places that are transformed into behavioral patterns through regular use in an open space and how they are used. However, they do not mention the characteristics of the spaces which are transformed into places of short-term interaction with extraordinary and innovative uses, their intended use and the relationship between the people. This study aims to reveal the differences between the regular uses of urban open spaces and the unusual and innovative (insinuate) uses and the spatial characteristics and behavioral characteristics of the places created by the users. Half-participant behavior was observed in the study. In order to determine the behaviors at the observation points, the observations were designed as 15 minutes observation and 10 minutes break for 3 days (75 minutes). While the physical properties of the spaces chosen for behavioral patterns and unusual uses were similar, it was found that they differed in terms of spatial definitions, duration of use of space and relationships between people. The study of the disciplines that are interested in urban design only in open spaces, and the inability to include the effects of this on human behaviors and the infiltration into the space cause the emergence of gaps in such studies. With this study, it was concluded that urban open spaces, where both infiltration and behavior patterns were made together, were more effective in exchanging ideas and making joint activities.