Conceptual analysis of livable cities in the context of Ted Talks

Abstract

Today, livable urban spaces are very important in terms of the healthy conduct of both individual and social life. Shaped in line with human needs such as education, housing, economy, cultural and social life, the city and the livability of the city is one of the current discussion topics with its variable and dynamic structure in addition to the factors it contains. From this point of view, the concept of "livability" has been questioned in the context of urban planning. Considering the temporal resilience of cities, the semantic dimension - qualitative studies - and therefore concepts are very powerful tools. Concepts are the basis of interpretation or theorizing. The aim of the study is to develop a different perspective by revealing the measurability of more livable and happier cities and the criteria they contain through discussions and discourses on this subject. In this context, the TED platform, which is easily accessible by large masses today and popular in terms of social awareness, has been used. The content of 65 texts focusing on urban research in TED Talks between 2007 and 2023 has been analyzed and a conceptual analysis has been made through NVivo, a qualitative analysis program. The content analysis method has been used in the evaluation of the texts, and discussions and interpretations have been made based on frequency frequencies. In light of the data obtained, it has been seen that more livable cities have been associated with the codes "architectural design", "technology", "energy" and "climate" respectively. As a result; it can be said that the concept of urban livability cannot be independent of the climate crisis, ecology discussions, and energy efficiency discourses as a solution to this crisis, and architectural designs that follow the technological level of the age, and the parameters discussed in the face of changing needs and situations over time can also change.