Understanding the morphology of public open space accessibility: Towards an integrative framework for objective measures and user perceptions

Project Information

Morpho-POS

Grant agreement ID: 101244243

DOI 10.3030/101244243

EC signature date 25 April 2025

Start date 1 July 2026

End date 30 June 2028

Funded under

• Widening participation and spreading excellence

Total cost No data

EU contribution € 149 365,20

Coordinated by

BILKENT UNIVERSITESI VAKIF
Türkiye

Objective

Public open spaces (POS) offer multifaceted social and ecological benefits for public health and environmental sustainability. Urban form conditions, namely the arrangement of buildings and streets, significantly influence POS accessibility, necessitating a shift from simple metrics to a holistic understanding of how morphology promotes or hinders POS access. This project investigates the influence of urban morphology on POS accessibility and the alignment between objectively measured accessibility and the perceptions of various users. Despite growing research on POS, significant knowledge gaps remain: 1)lack of morphological focus on POS, 2)limited integration of objectively measured and perceived accessibility, and 3)scarcity of research in developing cities. To address these, this study aims to: 1)explore how urban form qualities influence POS accessibility, 2)investigate alignment between objectively measured and perceived POS accessibility across user groups, and 3)develop policy recommendations for equitable POS-oriented retrofitting strategies in rapidly developing urban contexts, using Turkey's capital Ankara as a case study. The project employs an innovative mixed-methods approach, integrating cutting-edge urban morphometrics, GIS-based accessibility analysis, and qualitative go-along interviews. Advanced machine learning techniques and statistical analysis will identify distinct urban form types (UFT) and their relationship to POS accessibility. This data-driven analysis will be complemented by nuanced insights into users’ perceived accessibility, bridging quantitative measurements with lived experiences.The project offers a novel integrative framework to understand POS accessibility and evidence-based policy recommendations for POS-oriented urban retrofitting. The project contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal 11.7 emphasizing inclusive and accessible public spaces, and offers valuable insights for urban planning practices across EU and globally.

Keywords

• public open space
• accessibility
• urban morphology
• urban form typology
• morphometrics
• machine learning clustering
• spatial analysis
• perceived accessibility
• equitable accessibility
• urban policy

Programme(s)

• HORIZON.4.1 - Widening participation and spreading excellence Main Programme

Topic(s)

• HORIZON-WIDERA-2024-TALENTS-02-01 - ERA Fellowships

Call for proposal

HORIZON-WIDERA-2024-TALENTS-02

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

Coordinator

BILKENT UNIVERSITESI VAKIF

• Net EU contribution: € 149 365,20
• Address: ESKISEHIR YOLU 8 KM ; 06800 Bilkent Ankara ; Türkiye
• Region: Batı Anadolu › Ankara › Ankara
• Activity type: Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
• Total cost: No data