The Effect of The Pandemic Period on Residence and Residential Environment Preferences: The Example of İstanbul

In late 2019, Covid-19 emerged as a global crisis threatening the entire world.. The first case in our country was announced on March 11, 2020. Governments carefully monitored the epidemic process from the first months and took the necessary measures in all areas of public life. Significant increases have been recorded, especially in the use of urban open spaces. Whether this process leads to permanent changes in recreation models and areas, residence and residential environment, remains among the debated issues. For this purpose following the questions "Have people's housing preferences in urban areas changed compared to the pre-pandemic period?" and “How effective are the social, physical, cultural, perceptual and economic opportunities of the residential environment in residence choice?” constitute the starting point of the research. Taking Istanbul as a case study, this article presents the results of an online survey administered to 263 people in December 2020. The results showed that resident and residential environment preferences changed during the pandemic period, and the perceptual, physical, functional and social features of the resident and its environment were most decisive in this change. Research results suggest parameters that may be effective for planning cities that are more resilient to future pandemics.