Accessibility of open public spaces for vulnerable groups in Alaeddin Tepesi Park, Konya, Türkiye

This study examines the accessibility of open public spaces in light of the realities of contemporary urban life, using Alaeddin Tepesi Park in Konya (Türkiye) as a case study. It starts from the observation that, despite efforts to promote more inclusive public spaces, gaps persist between planning intentions and actual use, particularly for vulnerable groups, including the elderly, people with disabilities, and users with strollers. Employing the universal design framework, the study adopts a qualitative approach based on field observations, documentary analysis, and semi-structured interviews with institutional and professional actors. Results show that Alaeddin Tepesi Park has several basic amenities that promote its accessibility. However, this accessibility remains partial and unevenly distributed at the site level. The hillside topography, the predominance of stairs, the tension between accessibility and heritage conservation, and the insufficiency of certain orientation and assistance devices limit autonomous use of the park by vulnerable groups. This situation leads to differentiated accessibility that produces inequalities in the use and appropriation of the space. The study also highlights a mismatch between institutional discourses valorizing inclusion, the realities observed on the ground, and experts’ perceptions, who judge this accessibility more theoretical than practical. Thus, the study underscores the need to understand accessibility not as mere presence of facilities, but through their effective usability, observed practices, site constraints, and socio-spatial realities, and the specific challenges of heritage conservation.