Sustainable Planning of Urban Parks – The Case of Balıkesir, Turkey

Throughout the past century, the Turkey’s population had been rapidly congregating in urban areas. The urban population in the Turkey was approxiamately 60 million in 1995 number that is expected to duplicate at about the year.
The spatial extent of urban development in Turkey has undergone tremendous change in the last 35 years. Many urban areas in Turkey have expanded mostly on (over) agr5icultural land in recent decades. The changes in land use patterns certainly provide many social and economic benefits but they also affect the natural environment negatively (Kurucu & Küçükyılmaz, 2008, s. 293). The decline of nature during the twentieth century increased public awareness to the necessity of introducing natural assets and components in urban context led to the creation and development of the urban park movement.
Urban parks are of a strategic importance for the quality of life of our increasingly urbanized society and provide significant ecosystem services, as environmentally, aesthetically, recreationally, psychologically and economically. The presence of natural assets such as urban parks and forests, green belts and components (i.e. trees, water) in urban contexts contributes to the quality of life in many ways.