RECREATIONAL USE OF URBAN FORESTS AND AWARENESS OF VISITORS: THE CASE OF THE CITY OF ORDU - YOROZ AND ASARKAYA URBAN FORESTS

Throughout the urbanization and advancement in technology process, the human intervention on the nature has increased, and the human-nature relation deteriorated gradually. The environment, which consisted of soil, air, water and living things in it, has been contaminated with the wastes released by this sector with the great production power reached by the industry in our present day, and the living creatures have been disturbed by these wastes. With the influence of urbanization, forests and people in or around cities have become increasingly affected by each other. This interaction, which has a specific focus on recreational demand, led to the emergence of a new natural sources management model that is shaped by service production and recreational uses. As a result of all these developments, the “Urban Forestry” concept, which is a different form of the “Traditional Forestry” concept, was born. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of the urban forests established against the negative effects that decrease the quality of life of the city people caused by vehicle and human traffic and various toxic gases and heavy industry in metropolitan cities on people living in cities. In this study, Yoroz and Asarkaya Urban Forests in the city of Ordu were selected as the Study Areas. The condition of Yoroz and Asarkaya urban forests, what purpose(s) they serve, their developments, whether or not they have different functions, the extent to which people benefit from these urban forests, their expectations from the urban forests, and the difficulties they face when they cover these expectations, and what measures should be taken to overcome these problems were discussed in the present study. These two urban forests in the city of Ordu were visited and, people who visited these forests and who benefited from these areas were interviewed face-to-face to determine their thoughts, difficulties and expectations about the urban forest.