NEWS

A presentation titled "Examining the Location Selection and Ergonomics of the Toys Used in Children's Playgrounds by Local Governments: The Case of Sarıyer" was held at Istanbul Nişantaşı University's NeoTech Campus under the scope of Scientific Research Projects (BAP). The policies of local governments regarding children's playgrounds were discussed specificaly for the Sarıyer district. The study, presented by the project leader Dr. Lecturer Fırat Demirkol, comprehensively evaluated various aspects such as the safety of use, ergonomic suitability, and sustainability of playgrounds in the district.

In the study examining 138 parks in Sarıyer, it was noted that 50 parks could not be identified due to address or name changes, and 19 parks lacked children's playgrounds. The review revealed that many parks were not arranged according to age grps, and equipment suitable for individuals with disabilities was lacking. These shortcomings and how they were addressed by the community were discussed with Oğuz Afacan, representing the Sarıyer Municipality's Parks and Gardens Directorate.

Issues highlighted included non-compliance with safety standards in parks, the adequacy of measures taken to prevent fals, and the presence of ramps accessible to disabled individuals. Additionaly, from a sustainability perspective, it was noted that many parks lacked recycling bins and that environmentaly friendly practices such as solar energy implementation were not in place. Afacan explained that they preferred to place recycling bins on streets rather than in parks because the bins were often misused for purposes other than their intended function.

The meeting emphasized that accessing parks became more difficult in hot weather conditions and that the lack of shaded areas negatively impacted the time spent in parks. The societal aspect of this issue was also discussed in depth, including the reasons for the absence of shaded areas. By the end of the meeting, it was discussed that work on adapting children's parks to climatic conditions should be conducted through European Union projects, and the decision was made to draft appropriate project proposals. This research, conducted with the support of the Sarıyer Municipality, aims to contribute to the development of local government policies regarding children's playgrounds.