Examination of Selected School Gardens in the Sample of Selçuklu District Sancak Neighborhood According to Landscape Architecture Design Criteria

Abstract

The need for open green spaces in cities has increased after the Covid-19 epidemic and the earthquake disaster in our country. Due to the low amount of green space per capita in square meters throughout the country, the number of playgrounds and sports areas for children and young people remains limited. When school-age children cannot find enough green space in their neighborhoods, they can easily meet these needs in school gardens. For this reason, school gardens must be properly arranged for various recreational activities for children who spend most of their time at school and cannot find enough green space in their neighborhoods. Six schools in Sancak Neighborhood of Selçuklu District of Konya Province were selected as the research subject. The research was based on on-site observations and examinations in the school gardens, and the photographs required were taken. As a result of the research, it was determined that the plant elements used in the gardens of the schools were deficient in terms of quantity, visual quality, and plant health, and that the existing landscape areas and urban furniture were insufficient. For the healthy development of the students using the schools and the playage children in the neighborhood, it was determined that the existing thorny and poisonous plants should be removed from the school garden, the plants with deteriorated visual quality should be renewed and the missing/broken urban furniture should be replaced.