Determination of Outdoor Furniture on Coastline Recreation Area of Asi River (Antakya District) and User Satisfaction

Abstract

Water surfaces which have significant importance for the acquisition of a city identity are the facts that lead the development of city, allow recreational activities and create visual and psychological effects on urban residents. This study has been conducted on Asi River coastline as it‘s an important zone for Antakya city identity, divides new and old settlement areas and provides various recreational activities. The study conducted within 3 stages between April-July 2012. In the first stage of the study, amount and construction materials of existing outdoor furnitures were revealed. The second stage consists of questionnaire including details about user and usage with questions to determine the user satisfaction. According to the findings, the highest level of user satisfaction was found in bridges by all parameters and the lowest satisfaction level was found in sign/information boards by aesthetic and functional features and waste bins by amount. In this scope, the necessity of integration between city history and cultural values was found to be important so as to increase user satisfaction level from outdoor furniture. In addition, it is thought that this study will contribute to create a database for local governments.