The Role of Public Interior Spaces in the Socialization of Active Elderly Individuals

It is an indisputable fact that interaction and socialization between individuals are important for a healthy society. For this reason, it is essential to develop spaces that provide group and community interaction between all ages and all members of the society. This study is based on the assumption that the interactions of active elderly individuals aged 65 and over with individuals in public interior spaces are important in increasing their quality of life. In order to ensure this interaction, it is thought that the supportive role of public interiors should be investigated. The aim of the study is to evaluate the contribution of shopping center spaces to interaction and socialization from the eyes of active elderly individuals aged 65 and over and to determine the social interaction levels of these individuals in the shopping center. For this purpose, the study was built on social interaction, one of the spatial quality parameters. The research method consists of 2 steps: field observation on the selected shopping center and face-to-face survey. The findings obtained from the study conducted with a group of 200 people were evaluated by making descriptive analysis in the SPSS program. According to the research data, the majority of the participants are of the opinion that the areas and activities that will support social interaction are insufficient in the shopping centers where the study is conducted. In the study, it was determined that the majority of the participants used the shopping place especially for passive socialization and enduring socialization. The use of the space for fleeting sociability, however, took place in the background. It is thought that the reason for this is that the shopping center cannot offer sufficient physical conditions and activity opportunities in terms of space design.