Cognitive Mapping and Space Syntax Analysis of Universal Design Principles: The Case of the Üsküdar Barrier-Free Life Center

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to examine universal design concepts and principles. Within the scope of the research, the spatial and structural features of the Istanbul-Üsküdar Barrier-Free Life Center were examined. The space syntax analysis method was applied in order to access the numerical data of the syntactic analysis of the space, and cognitive mapping analysis was performed in order to reflect the spaces formed in the minds of individuals in the cognitive maps of the space on the drawings. The participants and the sample were selected among individuals who use this place via the random sampling method. As a result of this research, the design features of a space used by disabled and non-disabled individuals, design criteria, syntagmatic features of the space, and cognitive features of the space were determined, and inferences that can serve as examples for the spaces to be built in the future were presented.