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1 – 3 of 3Tulin Vural Arslan, Selen Durak, Fatma Dizdar Gebesce and Belcin Balcik
The purpose of this paper is to identify the principal factors affecting walkability from the viewpoint of the inhabitants of Bursa. It is intended to discover whether…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the principal factors affecting walkability from the viewpoint of the inhabitants of Bursa. It is intended to discover whether inhabitants’ conception of factors affecting walkability complies with the factors identified by the authors in regard to literature review.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on several studies about influencing parameters of walkability, three main factors – spatial, social, economic – can be specified affecting the desire to walk by the user. In the content of this study, a conceptual model is developed for the assessment of factors influencing walkability. In this study, two different analysis methods are applied: qualitative approach: observation survey; and quantitative approach: questionnaire survey. By utilizing the conceptual model, a questionnaire is prepared and applied to 200 pedestrians in three streets. Moreover, the questionnaire items were factor analyzed to explore the principal factors affecting walkability from the viewpoint of the inhabitants of Bursa.
Findings
In the literature review part, the factors affecting walkability are defined as accessibility, comfort and use, environmental aesthetics, safety and security and connectivity. However, as a result of the survey applied to pedestrians in Bursa, it has been revealed that the most important factors are “Accessibility,” “Comfort and Use,” “Traffic Safety,” “Crime Security” and “Connectivity,” excluding the factor “Environmental Aesthetics.”
Originality/value
There is a need for studies which assess the factors influencing the walkability in tourism cities in depth. Tourism potential in Bursa, Turkey, has raised since it has been inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2014. Therefore, walkability became one of the important issues in urban planning decisions for the streets in the historic city center in policies of the local government. The studies that assess the factors influencing walkability and the satisfaction of the pedestrians will open up new visions for urban decision makers. Within the scope of this study, existing historic city center in Bursa has been analyzed in terms of walkability.
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Tulin Vural Arslan, Filiz Senkal Sezer and Erkan Isigicok
The aim of this paper is to discuss the reasons behind the attractiveness of shopping malls for young consumers in Turkey and then to determine the attractiveness factors of malls…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to discuss the reasons behind the attractiveness of shopping malls for young consumers in Turkey and then to determine the attractiveness factors of malls for this segment from the consumers' perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was carried out through a survey of 621 young consumers (aged between 12‐24) in three out‐of‐town selected shopping malls in Bursa, Turkey. For a general evaluation of the data, factor analysis is applied. It is considered as a valuable tool to reduce dimension and group different characteristics of young consumers' mall usage.
Findings
The study reveals five mall attractiveness factors from the young Turkish consumers' perspective: retail environment, comfort conditions, socializing in a secure environment, accessibility, leisure. The importance of all these factors for this segment are evaluated with a comparative analysis with the findings of many other studies, analyzing the similar issues in relation to different cultures.
Research limitations/implications
The sampling frame for this research was limited to young consumers in Bursa, Turkey. Study findings, although interesting, are clearly not generalizable to all populations of young consumers or even all Turkish young consumers.
Practical implications
Identifying mall attractiveness factors for young consumers gives a better understanding about patronage motives than when it is applied to the market as a whole.
Originality/value
This is one of the first studies to provide an insight of mall attractiveness factors as identified by young Turkish consumers from the viewpoint of an urban studies researcher, rather than marketing researchers.
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