Surface urban heat island (SUHI) effects are intensifying in arid desert cities due to rapid urban expansion, limited vegetation, and increasing impervious and barren land surfaces. This leads to serious ecological and socio-environmental challenges in cities. This study investigates the relationship between landscape composition and land surface temperature (LST) in Phoenix and Tucson, two rapidly growing cities located in the Sonoran Desert of the southwestern United States. Landsat-9 OLI-2/TIRS-2 satellite imagery was used to derive the LST value and calculate spectral indices. A multi-resolution grid-based approach was applied to assess spatial correlations between land cover and mean LST across varying spatial scales. The strongest positive correlations were observed with barren land, followed by impervious surfaces, while green space showed a negative correlation. Furthermore, the Urban Thermal Field Variation Index (UTFVI) and the Ecological Evaluation Index (EEI) assessments indicated that over one-third of both cities are exposed to strong SUHI effects and poor ecological quality. The findings highlight the critical need for ecologically sensitive urban planning, emphasizing the importance of the morphological structure of cities, the necessity of planning holistic blue–green infrastructure systems, and the importance of reducing impervious surfaces to decrease LST, mitigate SUHI and SUHI impacts, and increase urban resilience in desert environments. These results provide evidence-based guidance for landscape planning and climate adaptation in hyper-arid urban environments.

The accelerating pace of urbanization and population growth has increasingly disrupted the relationship between the built environment and nature, contributing to a decline in individuals’ psychological and spiritual well-being. Religious buildings—particularly mosques—have the potential to serve as restorative environments that support spiritual reflection and emotional balance. Within this context, the integration of biophilic design principles into sacred architecture has emerged as a significant area of contemporary research. This study investigates how biophilic elements in mosque interiors influence individuals’ perceptions of spirituality and the restorative quality of the space. Mosque interior images were generated using artificial intelligence tools (Midjourney V6.1 and DALL·E 3), informed by biophilic design theory. Grounded in Attention Restoration Theory (ART), the study utilized a quantitative research framework to explore how biophilic elements influence spiritual and restorative perceptions in sacred architectural spaces. Data were collected from 390 individuals in Türkiye with prior worship experience in Republican-era mosques—structures marked by ideological and spatial transformations. Two instruments were used, the Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRS) and the newly developed Biophilic Spiritual Perception Scale (BSPS), which demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.981). Analyses included exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, as well as parametric and non-parametric statistical tests. Findings suggest that biophilic design in mosque interiors positively influences both spiritual experience and perceived environmental restorativeness. These results support the view that biophilic design should not be seen merely as an esthetic or ecological approach but as a multidimensional strategy that enhances the emotional and spiritual quality of sacred spaces. Implications for future mosque design in Türkiye are discussed.

En tr Within the scope of the study, a survey was conducted to determine the preferences of users and landscape architects for planting designs. In this context, the survey was conducted with the number of 400 users and 51 landscape architects. When the findings are evaluated , the regression analyses showed that the planting design elements of Emphasis, Balance and Naturalness are the most influential factors on the landscape design preferences of landscape architects. Moreover, most influential factors on the landscape design preference of users Emphasis and Balance. Çalışma kapsamında kullanıcı ve peyzaj mimarlarının bitkisel tasarımlara ilişkin tercihlerini saptamak amacıyla anket çalışması yürütülmüştür. Bu bağlamda 400 kullanıcı anketi ve 51 peyzaj mimarı anketi gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bulgular değerlendirildiğinde, yapılan regresyon analizleri göstermiştir ki, peyzaj mimarlarının bitkisel tasarım hakkında tercihlerini en çok etkileyen bitkisel tasarım unsurları Vurgu, Denge ve Doğallıktır. Bunun yanında kullanıcıların bitkisel tasarım hakkında tercihlerini en çok etkileyen bitkisel tasarım unsurları ise Vurgu ve Dengedir.

Hospital gardens are increasingly recognized as therapeutic environments; however, many Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) studies remain limited to perception-based assessments without explicitly linking spatial characteristics to user experience. This study develops an evidence-based evaluation framework integrating spatial analysis with user-centered data. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining systematic observations, spatial mapping, and a structured short-form questionnaire administered to 350 users. The study area was classified into three micro-climatic zones—hot, moderate, and cool/shaded—based on solar exposure, vegetation density, and surface characteristics. User experience was evaluated through composite indices of comfort, satisfaction, and perceived restorativeness (Cronbach’s α = 0.83). The results indicate a clear spatial gradient: mean comfort scores increased from 2.8 in hot zones to 3.5 in moderate zones and 4.2 in cool/shaded areas. These differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05) and supported by meaningful effect sizes (Cohen’s d). Furthermore, multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that natural components—specifically mature vegetation and clean air—are strongly associated with psychological recovery (β = 0.54, p < 0.001). Spatial analysis also revealed a mismatch between design configuration and environmental performance. The findings provide a transferable, spatially grounded framework for optimizing therapeutic landscapes in healthcare settings.

One of the sources of inspiration used to increase the aesthetic value of a design product is the traditional arts owned by that culture. When the Turkish traditional art is examined, it is seen that the oldest art is the art of carpet. For this reason, Turkish carpet art was used as a means of inspiration in urban landscape designs. The aim of the research is to emphasize the importance of using local and cultural values as inspiration in urban landscape designs and to provide urban landscape design proposals for the preservation and transfer of these values to future generations. In this context, "Dösemealti" carpets belonging to the Antalya region, which have a significant place in terms of traditional carpet art in Turkey, are considered as a source of inspiration in urban landscape design. Thus, the characteristic features of Dösemealti carpets in traditional Turkish carpets are reflected in urban landscape designs.

Although most of the urban settlements in developed countries have parks and gardens available to local people, children spend more time with virtual games rather than active games. It is considered that the current understanding of the playground design does not respond to the needs of children and does not contribute to the continuity of play activities. Similarly, in our country, the majority of children spend time with electronic games instead of playing games in children's playgrounds in parks. This has a significant impact on both physical and mental development of children. To ensure that children spend more time in the playgrounds in the parks, the parks need to be developed and improved in line with the needs and desires of the children and their families. The aim of the study is to determine the factors that affect the use of children playgrounds in the parks located in Sivas, user requests and user opinions about the current situation. In this context, data obtained from interviews with randomly selected park users on a voluntary basis in five different parks located in different parts of the city were analyzed in SPSS program. As a result, the participants stated that the children's playgrounds in the parks in the city are not safe enough. In addition, the participants stated that they want to be designed contemporary playgrounds in the parks and that their children should play in these fields. ​Extended English summary is in the end of Full Text PDF (TURKISH) file. Özet Gelişmiş ülkelerdeki kentsel yerleşim alanlarının çoğunda halkın kullanabileceği park ve bahçeler olmasına rağmen çocuklar aktif oyunlar yerine sanal oyunlar ile daha fazla zaman geçirmektedir. Bunun başlıca sebepleri arasında, mevcuttaki çocuk oyun alanı tasarım anlayışının çocukların oyun ihtiyaçlarına cevap vermediği ve oyun faaliyetlerinin sürekliliğine katkıda bulunmadığı düşünülmektedir. Benzer şekilde ülkemizde de çocukların büyük çoğunluğu parklardaki çocuk oyun alanlarında oyun oynamak yerine elektronik ortamdaki sanal oyunlar ile vakit geçirmektedir. Bu durum ise çocukların gerek fiziksel ve ruhsal gerekse de zihinsel gelişimleri üzerinde önemli bir etkiye sahiptir. Çocukların parklardaki çocuk oyun alanlarında daha fazla zaman geçirmelerini sağlamak için parkların, çocukların ve ailelerinin ihtiyaçları ve istekleri doğrultusunda geliştirilmesi ve iyileştirilmesi gerekmektedir. Araştırmanın amacı, Sivas kentinde yer alan parklardaki çocuk oyun alanlarının kullanımını etkileyen faktörlerin, kullanıcı isteklerinin ve mevcut duruma yönelik kullanıcı görüşlerinin belirlenmesidir. Bu kapsamda kentin farklı bölgelerinde yer alan beş farklı parkta, gönüllük esasına dayalı ve tesadüfi olarak seçilen park kullanıcılarıyla gerçekleştirilen görüşmelerden elde edilen veriler SPSS programında analiz edilmiştir. Sonuç olarak katılımcılar, kentteki parklarda yer alan çocuk oyun alanlarının yeterince güvenli olmadığını ifade etmişlerdir. Ayrıca katılımcılar parklarda çağdaş çocuk oyun alanlarının tasarlanmasını ve çocuklarının bu alanlarda oyun oynamasını istediklerini belirtmişlerdir.