An Approach for Recreation Suitability Analysis to Recreation Planning in Gölcük Nature Park

Abstract

Gölcük Nature Park (GNP) is an area protected by law in Turkey. It is an important nature park with rich flora, fauna, geomorphologic forms, landscape features, and recreational potential in the region. However, GNP does not have a recreation management plan. The purpose of this study was to determine the actual natural, cultural, and visual resources of GNP, determine the most suitable recreational sites with multiple factors, evaluate the demands and tendencies of visitors, and suggest recreational activities and facilities for the most suitable sites of GNP. However, it was also conceived as leading to a recreational plan and design of GNP in the future and identifying the entire appropriate and current data of GNP with the creation of various maps. This study used multifactor analysis to determine the most suitable recreation sites of GNP. Used recreation factors were established including degree of slope, proximity to water resources, accessibility, elevation, vegetation, soil, climate, aspect, current cultural facilities, visual values, and some limiting factors in accordance with the characteristics of GNP. Weighting and suitability values of factors were determined by 30 local expert surveys. All obtained data were evaluated and integrated in the Geographical Information Systems base. Obtained maps were overlapped. Thus, recreational suitability zones map were created manually. However, the demands and behaviours from visitor surveys in GNP were focused on the most suitable recreation sites of the park. Finally, 10% of GNP was identified as the most suitable sites for recreational use. Various recreational facilities and activities (including picnicking, sports facilities and playgrounds, camping sites, walking paths, food and local outlets, etc.) were recommended for nine of the most suitable areas on the proposed recreational map.

Recreation suitability analysis: application in protected and non-protected areas

“…Thus, demand for tourism and leisure should be included among the criteria used for the selection, zoning, planning and management of these zones (Gül et al [8], Roman et al [9]). …”

“…In this study we made use of an integrated approach that considers the landscape's supply of recreational resources and visitors' demands and preferences, and the relationship between these as a basis for the sustainable management of tourist areas (Daily [24], Bell [17], Roovers et al [18], Gül et al [8], Schmitz et al [19][20][21], Moore and Polley [7]). This quantitative method can assist the landscape zoning process and enables the potential spatial behaviour of visitors to be estimated and their outdoor recreational niche to be characterised.…”

“…In this context, sustainable recreational planning requires a detailed analysis comparing visitor supply (landscape values and features) and demand, both inside and outside protected areas, in order to take coherent management decisions (Bell [17], Roovers et al [18], Gül et al [8], Schmitz et al [19][20][21]). In this paper we apply a visitor landscape interaction model for the suitable management of a nature reserve network and the surrounding landscape.…”

GIS Assisted Problem Analysis of Trail Erosion in Monongahela National Forest

“…Starr, Gratzer, and Lewis (1999) incorporated slope, land cover, soil drainage, wetlands, and land acquisition costs in their suitability grids for developing linking trails to existing trail networks in New York. Gül, Örücü, and Karaca (2006) and Gül, Örücü, and Karaca surveyed 30 "local experts" in park and recreation planning and management creating a rank order index.…”

“…While some studies use manager or researcher expert opinion on the recreational value of certain environmental, social, psychological, and visual attributes of geographic locations (Starr et al, 1999;Xiang, 1996) other studies employ user surveys to generate preference weighting factors for these attributes. For example, Gül, Örücü, and Karaca (2006) interviewed 400 park visitors to determine recreational setting and behavioral preferences, the results of the interviews were used to prioritize suitability zones for future development. Boers and Contrell (2007) created a visitor preference opportunity grid weighting desirable destinations as "zones of interest" matching three visitation priorities of cultural interests, general nature interests, and a specific nature preference of seeing birds.…”