Modeling Cultural Ecosystem Services Using Social Media Photos: The case of Denizli, Türkiye

Cultural ecosystem services, a complex interplay between humans and landscapes, significantly influence identity, well-being, and social connections. These services, provided through natural and cultural landscapes, can be better understood through spatial data. Using geotagged photos from Flickr, this study delves into user behavior and preferences in Denizli, Türkiye. The aim is to enrich sustainable landscape management by mapping temporal and spatial changes in visitor patterns. The spatial distribution patterns revealed that user activities are predominantly scattered around the city center, historical sites, cultural hubs, and facilities-equipped recreational places. The findings unveiled a concentration in the northwest region in terms of cultural heritage, aesthetic, and recreational values. The period when visitors shared the most photos was between July and October. The study's originality lies in its unique approach to mapping visitor-preferred hotspots and landscape values at the provincial scale, identifying previously unmentioned locations such as Maymun Mountain and the Dodurgalar district. The research underscores the importance of integrating natural and cultural landscape values into urban management and ensuring coordinated efforts to maintain the uniqueness of cities. The practical implications of this study are significant, as they provide valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers interested in sustainable landscape management. Despite the methodological constraints of geotagged social media data, it remains a more time and cost-effective tool. It provides abundant and up-to-date information on user preferences and movements, enabling analysis of spatial and temporal patterns.