Page 295 - Çevre Şehir İklim İngilizce - Sayı 3

Zeynep Özdemir - Merve Özkaynak

Introduction

The use of developing technology in housing construction in order to meet
the housing needs of the increasing population with the rapid urbanization
and the rapid opening of development zones to residential areas results in the
construction of reinforced concrete structures in the land parcels (Keleş, 2006).
While planning the cities, it should be taken into account that urban green
spaces, which are designed with a universal planning approach for public benefit
and for everyone, are adequate (Tango and Topçu, 2021:105). It is once again
revealed how important it is for green areas to meet the needs, especially in the
disasters such as Covid-19 pandemics (Özdede et al., 2021:365). Sustainable
cities are discussed in many studies today, as is the subject of this study, in order
to create resilient cities and to leave livable cities to future generations.
The article “to ensure universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible
green and public spaces, especially for women and children, elderly people
and people with disabilities” was included in the 11th goal among the 2030
sustainable development goals under the title “Sustainable City and Life”
(article 11.7) (UNESCO, 2022). Moreover, the World Health Organisation
emphasizes the importance of green spaces for cities by stating that green
spaces (such as parks, sports fields, forests, natural meadows, wetlands or
other ecosystems) are the main component of any urban ecosystem (World
Health Organisation, 2019). As specified in these articles, the existence of
inclusive and accessible green areas for a sustainable life and urbanization
is important for both healthy living conditions, a clean environment and
improving the quality of users’ lives. It is also obvious that leaving a green
environment for future generations is necessary for the sustainability of the
urban ecosystem (Farhan et al., 2019:58).
In order to leave clean air, clean environment and livable spaces for future
generations, the cities should be designed to meet the need for green spaces
which are the breathing points of cities, and to make decisions to meet the
standards specified in the planning (Dinç et al., 2020). In this regard, the
Central district of Amasya, a medium-sized city located on the Western Black
Sea, is divided into three regions. The aim of the study is to examine the
green spaces in the macro form of the rapidly developing city, including the
historical city center, the planned region in the 1960s and the planned region
in the 1990s, and to determine their compliance with the standards. This study
seeks answers to the following questions;
• How successful is the city of Amasya on its way to becoming a
sustainable city in terms of green space capacity?
• Do the green spaces in Amasya meet the needs?
• What are the decisions required to meet the needs for green space?

280 Journal of Environment, Urbanization and Climate