Evaluation of the Students’ Perception about Landscape Sustainability at Istanbul Technical University

Öz

Using a large amount of land, energy, and material, universities have a major effect on sustainability in particular environmental sustainability. Over the last decade, a large number of green projects have been performed in the campus of leading universities. The matter is that sustainability of the campuses cannot be achieved without considering the student’s dimension including their perception, preferences, evaluation, and participation. The aim of this work is to analyze the relationship between the students’ perception and the efficiency of sustainability programs especially sustainable landscaping on the university campuses. This work surveys the ITU’s students’ attitudes and perspectives about what has been operated as the sustainable landscape on the green open lands and also their preferences of the campus landscape considering what they know about sustainability concept. To perform the research, 100 students of ITU were asked to complete a questionnaire including various parts covering the subject. This research strongly suggests that universities should provide the students with the practical programs and opportunities for cooperation on the campus so that they can participate in the programs aiming for sustainability improvement.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Green Campus,Landscape Sustainability,Students’ Perception,Istanbul Technical University,Turkey

Kaynakça

1. Adams AC, McNicholas P, 2007. Making a difference: Sustainability reporting, accountability and organizational change, Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 20(3): 382-402, https://doi.org/10.1108/09513570710748553.
2. Abubakar RI, Al-Shihri SF, Ahmed MS, 2016. Students’ Assessment of Campus Sustainability at the University of Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Sustainability, 8 (59); doi:10.3390/su8010059.
3. Amr IA, Kamel Sh, Gohary ElG, Hamhaber J, 2016. Water as an Ecological Factor for a Sustainable Campus Landscape, Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 216 (6): 181-193, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.12.027.
4. Byrn M, Endicott M, Kokosinski K, Lovegreen M, Bill N, 2013. Campus Sustainability Plan, University of California; Santa Barbaram, 18-23.
5. Barlett PF, Chase GW, 2004. Sustainability on Campus: Stories and Strategies for Change; MIT Press: Cambridge, MA, USA.
6. Brundtland GH, 1987. Our Common Future: Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development. Oxford University.
7. Chan M, Coupland W, Gagesch K, Mulé C, Runyan A, 2009. Exploring Sustainability in Campus Design and Greenspace: Lessons from Leading Universities. http://environment.utoronto.ca/Upload/UndergraduateResearchReports/421GreenSpace08-09.pdf.
8. Chiesura A, 2014. The role of urban parks for the sustainable city, Landscape and Urban Planning, 68: 129-38.

9. Ferrer-Balas JD, Adachi S, Banas CI, Davidson A, Hoshikoshi A, Mishra Y, Motodoa M, Onga M Ostwald,. 2008. An international comparative analysis of sustainability transformation across seven universities. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education,9(3): 295 – 316: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14676370810885907.
10. Green Campus, Available online: http://www.yesilkampus.itu.edu.tr/yesil-kampus (Accessed on 21 May 2017).
11. Huang L, Wu J, Yan L, 2015. Defining and measuring urban sustainability: a review of indicators, Landscape Ecol, 30: 1175–1193. DOI 10.1007/s10980-015-0208-2.
12. Indiana Wild Life Federation. (IWF). 2014. Butler Sustainability, Sustainable Landscaping at Butler University Part of the Indiana Wildlife: Federation’s Landscaping the Sustainable Campus program, Available online: www.indianawildlife.org (accessed on 20 Jan. 2018).
13. International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), 2014. Green guide for universities, IARU pathways towards sustainability, Available online: http://www.iaruni.org/about/about-iaru (accessed on 10 Jan. 2018).
14. ITU Green Campus, Available online: http://www.yesilkampus.itu.edu.tr/yesil-kampus (Accessed on 21 May 2017)
15. Patrick D L, Murray T, Bowles IA, 2008. Campus Sustainability: Best Practices. Prepared for the Leading by Example Program at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
16. Pouya S, Pouya S, 2018. Sustainable Landscaping in Istanbul Technical University, Turkish Journal of Forest Science 2(1): 98-114
17. Razman R, Abdullah HA, Wahid R Z B, Muslim R. 2016. Web Content Analysis on Sustainable Campus Operation (SCO) Initiatives, the 9th International Unimas Stem Engineering Conference (ENCON 2016) Innovative Solutions for Engineering and Technology Challenges, Sarawak, Malaysia, 87, 12 December 2016.
18. Sustainable Sites Initiative (SSI): Guidelines and performance benchmarks (SSI). 2017 Available online: http://www.sustainablesites.org/ (accessed on 15 Sep. 2017).
19. U.S. Green Building Council, Available online: http://www.usgbc.org. (accessed on 10 December 2017)
20. University of Victoria. 2016. Progress Report, Sustainability Action Plan: Campus Operations, 2014 – 2019, https://www.uvic.ca/sustainability/
21. Velazquez L, Munguia N, Platt A, Taddei J, 2006. Sustainable university: what can be the matter? Journal of Cleaner Production,Vo. 14 (9-11): 810-819; DOI10.1016/j.jclepro.2005.12.008.
22. WCED, 1984. Our common future. Oxford University Press, New York.
23. Zou Y, Zhao W, Mason RLM, 2015. Comparing Sustainable Universities between the United States and China: Cases of Indiana University and Tsinghua University, Sustainability, 7(9), doi:10.3390/su70911799.