Evaluation of Parks in Bartin-Turkey: Need for Green Infrastructure Approach

Due to rapid increase on population and construction for urbanization, cities of 21 century change rapid and dynamically. As the lands in different characters of cities change and spoil the character known is also changing. At this point landscape features which affect the infrastructure within green spaces and waterscapes have important limiting role on urban development. Recent years climate change became an important topic and it brought the discussions on water management and green infrastructure issues. Green infrastructure (GI) approach is a trending subject for experts of urban development, landscape management and urban health. The European Landscape Convention (ELC) seeks to embody the protection of landscapes in law. The ELC defines landscape as ‘…an area, as perceived by people, whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors’. Through provision of landscape character and place orientated design principles, green infrastructure can contribute to achieving the objectives of the Convention and related tools such as landscape character assessments and landscape strategies. As such, a green infrastructure approach can assist in delivering landscape visions and guidelines, and landscape quality objectives. In this research benefiting from the values of ecological corridors of protected Bartin River and vicinity, green infrastructure approach and its contributions to urban ecosystem focusing on parks listed by Bartin Municipality was evaluated. Within the proposed management approach increase on the resilience via natural systems with economy of the city struggling floods anytime is examined. Bartin River as a whole is a passive recreation area of an ecological importance with biological richness of flora and fauna. Findings in the research shows the requested connection of green spaces with active recreational areas has not been supplied with corridors, so the parks and open public spaces of the city could not serve as an input of green infrastructure element. The findings and comparisons with many case studies within Europe shows actual green spaces which are called parks by the local authorities do not cover permeable pavements and roads, rain gardens, green roofs and roof gardens, rain harvesting systems, road plantations, maintenance of landscape designs and wetland formations. There is also misuse of plant material especially at some of the parks designed. GI approach is an important solution for cities living with floods such as Bartin