Abstract:

Many interior spaces in cities, freely available to all citizens, are classified as public because they belong to people. Interiors are a part of the public spaces where urban culture is formed, and socio-spatial change is observed, and they have an important place in the formation of the identity of the place. In an urban setting, meanings as well as spatial components, events, and activities, which are the values that make the identity of the place unique, are a distinctive feature. This research investigates the qualities and elements of meaning, which is a component of place identity, and its effects on interior identity in the context of public/urban interiors. Thus, the importance of meaning and its effects on spatial identity are explained in more detail. In the study, as a case analysis, the Kızlarağası Inn, located in İzmir Kemeraltı Bazaar, was determined as a semi-open public interior, and its immediate environs surroundings as an urban interior. Data obtained through fieldwork, surveys and interviews were analyzed to determine the combination of meanings and indicators of public/urban interiors. As a result of the study, it has been seen that physical and social environments are effective in the formation of place identity in public/urban interiors. In summary, people’s sensory experiences that create individual and group meanings, attachments, place-related intentions, and memories are effective in the formation of place identity.

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