ECOLOGICAL APPROACH TO URBAN PARKS: THE CASE OF URBAN PARKS IN KILIS, TURKEY

Urban parks are the areas that improve the quality of life in urban areas and offer a significant contribution to the urban ecosystem. The principal factors that determine the level of contribution to the urban ecosystem of these areas are the presence of natural vegetation, vegetation diversity and the ratio of impermeable surface of the areas. In this study, ecological analysis of 23 parks in the city of Kilis has been made at the determined criteria level. At the end of the study, the naturalness value of Kilis city parks were found to be high (65,09%); soil impermeability ratio of parks is within the rage of %71,01-%9,8; and 21 parks are under the impermeability standards. In addition, it has been found out that vegetation diversity in the parks is insufficient. Under the light of findings, some precautions were proposed in order to improve the ecological quality of the parks in Kilis.