Özet:

A mental map is also described as a mental model that is formed in the minds of users, which, in basis, provides way and direction finding. A mental map summarizes all icons the user has in mind about a place.  Studies show that mental maps are formed based on environmental characteristics as well as the user’s characteristics. This study approaches the effects of topography and its consequent environmental features, such as transportation networks, on mental map typology. Appleyard defends, that the users perceive the environment by the transportation system and therefore a mental map of an environment is shaped by its transportation system. In his research, he describes the types of mental maps based on this survey, and additional research conducted on mental maps also supports these findings. However, it was determined that, in settlements, formed organically by topography and the settlement culture, with difficult to grasp transportation networks, the mental maps were forming according to easy landmarks instead of the transportation systems.  In this study, various findings related to the mental map research has been tested on a gridiron layout set on a flat surface. The city of Toronto has been selected as a case study because of her gridiron transportation network laid out plain land. The research is based on observation and a survey which contains written and drawing statements, and was conducted in Toronto University. In this survey, the participants have been asked to draw Toronto’s mental map as well as to give some personal information about themselves. The results have proved that the transportation systems have an effect on the type of mental maps created in the users’ minds. 

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