approach in recent years. One of these cities which is the last divided capital city and one of the most important cultural heritages of the Mediterranean region in the island of Cyprus is the Nicosia Walled City. Within this study, the existing situation of pedestrianized areas in the Walled City in north Nicosia were examined. In literature review part, the importance of pedestrianization, reasons and benefits of pedestrianization, examples of pedestrianized areas/streets around the world are reviewed. The pedestrianized streets/areas in the north Nicosia Walled City were examined on-site, photographed, their current status was revealed and evaluated according to determined criteria. Each street/area was evaluated in terms of functions in the street, mobility, accessibility by car or public transportation, social/community activities, economic development and quality of physical environment. When the old city of Nicosia is analyzed in the context of these criteria, it has been observed that the pedestrianized areas have an increasing social, cultural and economical contribution to the city. In addition to its historical features, the places and activities that attract the people especially young population and tourists, bring life to this region. In terms of environmental aspects, visual incompatibilities were observed even in the streets where pedestrianization studies have been carried out recently. There are also problems about vehicle and pedestrian traffic that affect users. The study was completed by making suggestions at the end of the study.
Keywords: pedestrianized streets, pedestrianized squares, Nicosia Walled City, Cyprus
It is essential that public buildings, which have an important place in the whole city and are open to every one's use, designed with the concept of universal design. Universal design; It aims to make standard designs for all groups of people living in a society with different characteristics, regardless of their physiological characteristics, age, gender, social, economic, and educational level. The design and use of public buildings, which are sometimes the city's symbol, sometimes the space that the citizens add color to their lives, and sometimes the facilities where services are received, are essential for the city's identity and the citizens. In this article, the concepts and principles of universal design were defined; the importance of anthropometry and ergonomics in universal design and its historical development were also discussed. As a part of the city, the universal design approach principles have been studied to design accessible, navigable, and accessible buildings together with the city. The legislation having a significant role in shaping the buildings and physical environment has also been discussed and interpreted within this scope. With this study, it has been revealed that "approach to building" (urban level), "circulation within building" (building level), and "reaching services in spaces" (space level) criteria, which are the primary approach criteria of universal design, coincide with the approach introduced in transforming the "user system" into a "building system". Thus, a criteria-based building evaluation form was created to evaluate many public buildings' design following universal design principles. From this point of view, the most used public building of Northern Cyprus has been comprehensively studied. The building's internal organization and its immediate surroundings have been examined and suggestions made within the framework of universal design principles.
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