Determination of the most preferred daily recreational spaces in a metropolitan city

Recreation has become an increasingly important pursuit for urban people who maintain a fast and intense life cycle today. Daily recreational activities provide opportunities for citizens to regain their physical and psychological health through short-term e'periences. The starting point of this research is to determine the daily recreational activity places of the inhabitants of Izmir and to reveal development strategies for these choices. Questionnaire and observation methods were used in the research. Prominent places were determined through the questionnaire. The percentage of participants in the questionnaire was taken as a basis and a total of 15 locations, 12 of which were within the metropolitan area, were evaluated by observation studies, one by one. As a general result it is found that the prominence of these spaces was effectively influenced by factors like geographic location, natural and cultural characteristics, and distance from the city center. At the end of the study, feasible and sustainable suggestions were made for the development of these recreational spaces.