Meeting Presenting Research Findings on Children’s Playgrounds in Sarıyer Completed
Dr. Fırat Demirkol presented findings on children’s playgrounds in Sarıyer, discussing safety, ergonomics, accessibility, and climate adaptation solutions with municipal representatives.
A presentation titled “Examining Local Authorities’ Site Selection for Children’s Playgrounds and the Ergonomics of Play Equipment: The Sarıyer Case” was held at İstanbul Nişantaşı University NeoTech Campus under the Scientific Research Projects (BAP) programme. Project leader Assistant Professor Fırat Demirkol presented a comprehensive assessment of playground policies in Sarıyer, covering safety, ergonomic suitability and sustainability.
The study examined 138 parks in Sarıyer. Fifty could not be located due to address or name changes and similar reasons, while 19 lacked children’s playgrounds. Many parks had no arrangements for different age groups and lacked equipment suitable for people with disabilities. The causes of these shortcomings and community responses were discussed with Oğuz Afacan, representing Sarıyer Municipality’s Parks and Gardens Directorate.
Key issues included non-compliance with safety standards, the adequacy of fall-prevention measures and the availability of accessible ramps. Many parks lacked recycling bins and environmentally friendly practices such as solar energy. Afacan explained that recycling bins were placed in streets rather than parks because they were frequently misused.
Participants emphasised that hot weather makes access difficult and that inadequate shade negatively affects time spent in parks. The social dimensions of this issue and reasons for the lack of shaded areas were examined comprehensively. The meeting concluded with discussions on using European Union projects to adapt playgrounds to climatic conditions and a decision to prepare suitable project proposals. Conducted with Sarıyer Municipality’s support, the research aims to contribute to improving local authorities’ playground policies.
