Social media data as a user perception tool: Evaluation of user experiences in Sultanahmet Area

Abstract

Social media and new communication technologies have been developing rapidly in recent years and contribute to urban studies. The massive data provided by mobile devices and web services remark a new information source that can be functional in city-specific decision-making. With these features, social networks can show urban life's situation about each user's unique social, economic, and political aspects. In this context, data obtained from new media and social networks in planning the cities' touristic areas will contribute to regional and local tourism planning. This study focuses on the analysis process, evaluation, and contribution of the data set obtained from the Flickr and Foursquare application, one of the location-based social networks, to urban design and tourism studies. Each social media application was evaluated within itself and a holistic evaluation was made in the city square with the data obtained between 2004-2018. In the research area designated as Sultanahmet Square, the experiences and perceptions of individuals using the specified web applications were examined.