Istanbul Residents’ Perceptions of the Use of Green Spaces by Syrian Immigrants

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the perceptions of the people of Istanbul regarding Syrian immigrants and their common use of urban green spaces. The causes of conflicts that Istanbul residents and Syrians immigrants have experienced in green spaces are also addressed. An exploratory sequential design was used, being one of the mixed methods in which qualitative and quantitative approaches are used together. Semi-structured interviews and content analysis were conducted for the qualitative part of the study. For the quantitative part, data were collected from 389 people in Istanbul with a survey consisting of Likert-type scale questions. Explanatory factor analysis (EFA) was performed on the obtained data-set. As a result, it was found that Istanbul’s citizens have problems with Syrian immigrants in urban green spaces due to differences in activities, they expect Syrians to speak Turkish in mutual communication, and they do not want to interact with this group due to their negative attitude towards Syrian immigrants. More detailed research should be conducted to reduce the conflict between these groups. In addition, this study reveals that conflicts have increased due to the lack of green spaces, and an increase in green spaces may be proposed as a solution.