Residents’ territorial cognition and behavior patterns: An inquiry into Kavaklıdere and Çukurambar Districts of Ankara, Turkey

Abstract

As a part of the recent urban restructuring processes, the spatial layout of residential environments as street-based neighborhoods has left its place to cellular developments in the form of gated communities. This shift in the spatial organization altered the relationship of urbanites with their near-home environments. This research aims to depict the influence of this shift on the cognitive and behavioral patterns of the residents. To do so, it re-interprets the concept of ‘territoriality’ as a critical tool for understanding and regulating the dynamics of human-environment relations at this scale. A model to assess territorial functioning is developed and employed in the Kavaklıdere and Çukurambar Districts of Ankara, the capital of Turkey. Comparative field surveys are conducted in the districts by using interpretative methods, including direct systematic observations and questionnaires with the residents. The districts are selected as prominent examples representing the aforementioned shift. The research findings reveal that, along with other exogenous factors, spatial layouts are the primary factor that promotes and inhibits certain cognitive and behavioral patterns at the residential scale. Both the findings from the case studies and the methodological proposition of the study contribute to the ongoing discussions in the field of urban planning regarding the future design of residential environments, which has regained attention with the multi-functionality of home environments during the COVID 19 pandemic. The study highlights the importance of the spatial design of residential environments on access to resources, the sense of security, identity, and well-being of the residents from the perspective of human-environment relations.