Evaluation of Recreational Quality of Urban and Semi-Urban Beaches: The Case of Akçay and Altınoluk

Beaches are public spaces that provide multifaceted contributions not only to summer tourism but also to public health, urban identity, environmental sustainability, and economic development. This study evaluates the recreational quality of selected urban (Altınoluk Kordon Beach and Akçay Kordon Beach) and semi-urban beaches (Altınoluk Blue Flag Beach and Altınkum Beach) located in the Akçay and Altınoluk regions of Edremit district, one of Turkey’s prominent coastal destinations. For this purpose, 7 main criteria and 52 sub-criteria that are considered to influence beach recreational quality were identified. These sub-criteria were examined through surveys and field observations and were scored based on their respective categories. According to the findings, the average recreational quality score was calculated as 3.16 for urban beaches and 3.21 for semi-urban beaches. Although each type of beach exhibited distinct strengths and weaknesses across various components, the results indicate that both urban and semi-urban beaches require improvements in several areas. In this context, a set of recommendations for beach management and planning has been developed and presented.