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The aim of the study is to determine and prioritise the characteristics of the built environment that increase the effectiveness of the walking surfaces for blind and vision-impaired people. Tactile walking surface indicators are installed on the floor of indoor and outdoor built environments for guiding blind or vision-impaired people. These people perceive the walking surface by a long white cane, through the soles of their shoes or impaired vision. Based on the relevant research and published standards there is a consensus on the characteristics of tactile working surfaces in terms of design specifications, visual contrast, material and installation requirements.

In order to have the right decision while using the related knowledge, the designer of a built environment should identify and prioritise the characteristics of the users. The findings of factorial analysis showed that the individual characteristics such as shoe width, stature, gender, and frequency of leaving residence and experience alone, or with help, determine the effectiveness of tactile surface indicators as the primary factor. The second important factor that can be named as perceptual characteristics of the individual is composed of long white cane usage, time of sight loss and visual efficiency type. It is found that ease of walking on tactile surfaces as ease of change in direction, ease of stay on proper course of walking and transition from truncated domes to bars are third in priority as long as they comply with the standards.

The aim of the study is to propose an ontology-based approach that provides a framework as a strategy decision tool for urban service design. The research methodology includes two phases to acquire the knowledge needed for urban service management of a city, as a case study. The first phase provides the priority list, through the Principal Component Analysis, for an age-friendly city determined by the citizens through a quantitative research. The second phase is a qualitative research among the public service providers, focusing on 'adequate community support and health services' feature which was the top priority of phase one. The repertory grid as a mapping tool consists of elements (age-friendly cities' features) and constructs (municipality provided services) that interconnect the tacit knowledge with the external knowledge. The findings indicated the importance of the necessity of a shared understanding and conceptualization of what a service is among service providers and consumers. This paper makes an important contribution to urban service management by making the interconnection between tacit and external knowledge as a strategic decision support tool.

This research is based on the idea that interior elements leave a wide variety of impressions on their occupants and that some interiors are likely to have more positive impressions than others. These impressions are especially prevalent when an individual cannot leave their homes for extended periods. The architectural elements of an interior where people are isolated can mitigate the adverse psychological effects.

The study was conducted by surveying individuals under lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 140 participants completed three different scales (GAD-7, K10, FTB Scale) to measure mental health problems often experienced in isolated and confined environments. Their responses were then associated with the interior environments of the participants.

Statistically significant relationships were identified between the reported interiors and the results of the psychological evaluations. The level of psychological distress was associated with Volume and Visual Variety factors. Susceptibility to generalized anxiety disorder was associated with Visual Variety and Airiness factors. Finally, free time boredom was associated with Volume, Visual Variety, and Airiness factors. The Furniture and Clutter factor did not significantly contribute to any of the psychological evaluations.

The study was performed in response to the severe lockdown measures taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It successfully highlighted the need for a rethinking of interior design approaches regarding the design for isolated and confined environments.

Architecture, at its very essence, is the process of providing physical space and place for human activity. Primarily concerned with responding to the specific needs of users and their societies, the built environment plays a tremendous role in shaping and facilitating the every day world we live in. Although being inextricably concerned with this man-environment dynamic, architecture however seems to limit its mainstream practices, education and standards to the conventional spectrum of “normal”. This leaves numerous user groups and victims of social circumstances largely excluded from the luxury of an architecture that deems itself specifically to serve them.