THE EFFECT OF FEAR OF CRIME ON PUBLIC SPACE USE: THE CASE OF RÜSUMAT

The growing populations of today’s cities, as well as the increase in alienation amongst their inhabitants, raises the perception of crime. People’s desire for communal areas such as public spaces is reduced when they feel unsafe in urban places. This condition leads to social and political issues, such as a decline in democratic demands, tolerance, and empathy, and an increase in the broadness of the activity amongst criminal groups. It is vital to identify the variables that contribute to crime perception and to provide spatial suggestions to improve the use of public space. The aim of this study is to assess the perception of three different types of crime in various public spaces and to learn the causes for these differences using Rüsumat beach as an example. As a result, it is hoped that strategies will be developed that improve the utilization of public space in Rüsumat. The perception of crime in Rüsumat was quantified using cognitive maps, and the data was analyzed using ArcGIS. Spatial recommendations were created according to the results.