Post-occupancy evaluation: A diagnostic tool to establish and sustain inclusive access in Kyrenia Town Centre

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine inclusive access criteria and explore the significance of post-occupancy evaluation (POE) for establishing and sustaining social inclusion in urban centres. Since the post-occupancy evaluation research framework was drawn on for appraising urban open space's accessibility and usability for people with and without physical disabilities, the POE methodology could be adapted for similar urban contexts and was tested on the upgrade projects in Kyrenia Town Centre (KTC) for use by both disabled and non-disabled people. A survey and structured observations with behavioural mapping were used to test urban space user's preferences, needs and satisfaction levels regarding desirable qualities of urban centres: adaptability, safety, comfort, dignity, density, legibility and autonomy. Using representative samples, a survey (sample size = 383) was initially conducted and then systematic observations (sample size = 1620) were performed to obtain data necessary to complete behavioural maps. The survey findings showed that the KTC possesses physical and social barriers, which represent challenges for both disabled and non-disabled users. Therefore, post-occupancy evaluation could be beneficial for the development of inclusive design policy and should be a necessary component of design process in order for determining what is needed to create the most inclusive environment by including disabled segments of the community.