Urban Children's Playgrounds beyond the Pandemic: A Longitudinal Field Study of Shifting User Experiences

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed a profound structural shift in the conceptualization and utilization of urban green spaces, transitioning them from elective aesthetic amenities into critical, health-promoting infrastructures. Despite extensive literature on this paradigm shift, empirical research utilizing continuous spatial datasets to measure evolving user expectations remains exceedingly limited. This study addresses this critical gap through a repeated cross-sectional field study in Nilüfer, Bursa (Turkey). Employing structured Post-Occupancy Evaluations (POE) across 14 neighborhood parks, the research compares pre- and post-pandemic user data (n=280) across eight core spatial dimensions. The findings reveal a radical demographic inversion; traditional parent-supervised child usage declined, while the 16–25 age cohort surged from 10% to 46%, appropriating these spaces as psychological buffers against confinement fatigue. Concurrently, primary visitation motivations shifted from residential proximity to the deliberate pursuit of restorative aesthetic qualities. Crucially, the data exposes an acute, unmet demand for health-promoting infrastructure, particularly institutional-grade sanitary facilities (WCs) and social amenities. Bivariate correlation analysis further demonstrates that perceived spatial security is now inextricably linked to material quality (r = 0.570) and ergonomics (r = 0.596), indicating that the haptic experience of the built environment is strongly associated with users' perceived environmental safety. Ultimately, this research establishes that contemporary urban planning must abandon superficial play equipment templates in favor of Children Green Infrastructure (CGI), integrating hybrid materiality and multisensory comfort to ensure socio-ecological resilience in a post-pandemic reality.

Keywords

• Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE
• Post-Pandemic Urbanism
• Salutogenic Design
• Children's Green Infrastructure (CGI)

Pandemi Ötesinde Kentsel Çocuk Oyun Alanları: Değişen Kullanıcı Deneyimleri Üzerine Boylamsal Bir Alan Çalışması

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemisi, kentsel yeşil alanların kavramsallaştırılması ve kullanımında derin bir ontolojik değişimi tetikleyerek, bu alanları isteğe bağlı estetik donatılardan kritik, sağlığı geliştirici altyapılara dönüştürmüştür. Bu paradigma değişimine dair kapsamlı literatüre rağmen, evrilen kullanıcı beklentilerini ölçmek için sürekli mekânsal veri setlerini kullanan boylamsal ampirik araştırmalar son derece sınırlı kalmaktadır. Bu çalışma, söz konusu kritik boşluğu Bursa, Nilüfer'de (Türkiye) gerçekleştirilen boylamsal bir doğal deney aracılığıyla ele almaktadır. Araştırma, 14 mahalle parkında yapılandırılmış Kullanım Sonrası Değerlendirme (KSD) anketleri uygulayarak, sekiz temel mekânsal boyut üzerinden pandemi öncesi ve sonrası kullanıcı verilerini (n=280) karşılaştırmaktadır. Bulgular radikal bir demografik tersine dönüşü ortaya koymaktadır; geleneksel ebeveyn gözetimli çocuk kullanımı azalırken, 16-25 yaş grubunun oranı %10'dan %46'ya fırlamış ve bu kitle parkları izolasyon yorgunluğuna karşı psikolojik tamponlar olarak sahiplenmiştir. Eşzamanlı olarak, temel ziyaret motivasyonları konuta yakınlıktan ziyade restoratif estetik niteliklerin bilinçli arayışına kaymıştır. En önemlisi, veriler başta kurumsal standartlarda sıhhi tesisler (WC) ve sosyal donatılar olmak üzere, salutojenik (sağlık üreten) altyapıya yönelik karşılanmamış akut bir talebi gözler önüne sermektedir. İki değişkenli korelasyon analizi ayrıca, algılanan mekânsal güvenliğin artık malzeme kalitesi (r = 0.570) ve ergonomi (r = 0.596) ile ayrılmaz bir şekilde bağlantılı olduğunu kanıtlamakta ve yapılı çevrenin dokunsal (haptik) deneyiminin kullanıcıların biyolojik güvenini belirlediğini göstermektedir. Sonuç olarak bu araştırma, post-pandemi gerçekliğinde sosyo-ekolojik dirençliliği sağlamak için çağdaş kent planlamasının yüzeysel oyun ekipmanı şablonlarını terk etmesi ve hibrit materyalite ile çok duyulu konforu entegre eden Çocuk Yeşil Altyapısı (ÇYA) yaklaşımını benimsemesi gerektiğini ortaya koymaktadır.

Keywords

• Kullanım Sonrası Değerlendirme (KSD
• Post-Pandemi Kentleşmesi
• Salutojenik Tasarım
• Çocuk Yeşil Altyapısı

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