The role of public green space on the formation of participant urban identity.

Abstract

The paper discusses the importance of public green space on the formation of participant urban identity during the process of urbanization. In this context, the discussion focuses on the way people perceive the urban parks as public spaces and the contribution of these spaces on urban development and citizenship. After a brief look at the history of urban green space and political perspectives on the current status of Turkish urban parks, I base my discussion on the gendered green spaces. My aim is to identify that urban park should not be perceived as the places of exclusion in democratic societies like Turkey. Keywords: Urban park, green space, public space, urbanization, Ankara