Assessment of public perception on urban environmental problems by using Q methodology

Abstract

This study aimed to determine perception of urban environmental problems in İzmir and İstanbul, two big cities of Turkey. Q methodology, which enables classifying human subjectivity through different perspectives bringing together the strong aspects of both qualitative and quantitative research methods, has been used as the research methodology. As a result of analysis of the participants’ views on urban environmental problems, which were sorted according to a certain guideline, two factors, in other words, two points of views were determined. Discrepancy correlation values of the factors were low, therefore, results states that the discrepancy of the two factors shows the represented point of views are clearly distinct. Significant majority of the participants from both cities agreed on factor 1 that “air pollution” is the primary environmental problem due to urbanization regardless of education background and gender. The other group forming factor 2 agreed on “smell pollution” as the primary environmental problem due to urbanization. The issues forwarded by the participants in this study significantly overlapped with the previously determined environmental problems of the two cities. As a conclusion, it has been pointed out in this study that Q methodology is an important tool in determining social opinions and priorities; guiding or supporting research; enlighten managers and planners in improving the effectiveness of their works.

Keywords

• kentsel çevre
• çevre sorunları
• q metodoloji
• urban environment
• environmental problems
• q methodology