Conceptual analysis of livable cities in the context of Ted Talks

Today, livable urban spaces are very important in terms of the healthy conduct of both individual and social life. Shaped in line with human needs such as education, housing, economy, cultural and social life, the city and the livability of the city is one of the current discussion topics with its variable and dynamic structure in addition to the factors it contains. From this point of view, the concept of "livability" has been questioned in the context of urban planning. Considering the temporal resilience of cities, the semantic dimension - qualitative studies - and therefore concepts are very powerful tools. Concepts are the basis of interpretation or theorizing. The aim of the study is to develop a different perspective by revealing the measurability of more livable and happier cities and the criteria they contain through discussions and discourses on this subject. In this context, the TED platform, which is easily accessible by large masses today and popular in terms of social awareness, has been used. The content of 65 texts focusing on urban research in TED Talks between 2007 and 2023 has been analyzed and a conceptual analysis has been made through NVivo, a qualitative analysis program. The content analysis method has been used in the evaluation of the texts, and discussions and interpretations have been made based on frequency frequencies. In light of the data obtained, it has been seen that more livable cities have been associated with the codes "architectural design", "technology", "energy" and "climate" respectively. As a result; it can be said that the concept of urban livability cannot be independent of the climate crisis, ecology discussions, and energy efficiency discourses as a solution to this crisis, and architectural designs that follow the technological level of the age, and the parameters discussed in the face of changing needs and situations over time can also change.


Introduction
People spend a large part of their lives in urban spaces, where they work, raise their children, and engage in social, cultural and economic relations. Urban spaces are designed with laws and standards determined in line with the needs of the people living in them. As people shape the city, cities shape the behaviours of the people living in them. Therefore, the living conditions, design features, strategies developed against security problems, administrative and economic situation in the city where people live are of vital importance for people to continue their lives in a healthy way. Today, when the majority of people live in cities for more than one reason, including economic and educational reasons, the issue of how cities can be made more livable, sustainable and humanoriented is of crucial importance.
The issue of the livability of a city has become a frequently discussed issue throughout the world in terms of environmental problems, economy, education, living standards and other issues affecting urban life. In addition to scientific research, livability has become a term emphasized by politicians in their discourses, used as an advertising element, and heard in mass media for the promotion of cities.
All levels of government, the private sector and the non-profit sector address the concept of livability in one way or another. However, despite its widespread use, the definition of a "liveable city" cannot be clearly defined. Livable city is considered together with other terms such as sustainable city, smart city, eco-city, resilient city or green city. The qualities defined as the common feature of these definitions include multiple political, social, economic and design concepts such as the need for walkability, the need for a variety of housing types, mixed land uses, protection of open spaces, community participation, job opportunities for all, respect for community character and local heritage, quality educational facilities, low crime rates, balanced transport options (Caves & Wagner, 2018).
The main purpose of urban design is to improve the places where people live and to increase the quality of life. Therefore, the concept of livability should be at the center of urban design. In this study, which focuses on the semantic dimension of the discourse of "livability" in urban design; • Questioning the concept of livability by focusing on city, human and life factors, • Incorporating the concept of liveability into urban planning research in a more effective way, • It is aimed to raise awareness on urban liveability. The study focuses on TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) talks that offer different perspectives on the concept of livability, which is a current debate in the literature. Within the scope of the study, content analysis has been made on TED Talks under the title of 'urban planning', the concept of livability has been analyzed through the triangle of human, city and life, and it has been evaluated how design can contribute to human needs, comfort and health with the question of livability.

Urban Livability Concept
The concept of 'livability' is often discussed in planning and design decisions, but there is no clear consensus on what 'livability' actually means, how to measure it, and therefore how to appropriately prioritize actions towards the goal of achieving a liveable city (Appleyard, 2021).
"Livability" is a multiple concept without a precise and universal definition; a living environment that may be characterised as liveable in one part of the world may not be perceived as such in another part of the world. The reason for the lack of a clear and single definition of livability is that it is argued that each city should be considered within its own context. The journey each city has taken or is currently taking is unique and context-specific. In this sense, there cannot be expected to be a universal, one-size-fits-all approach to livability. Some cities have a long history of developing livability policies and programs that focus on equity, economic and environmental concerns, while others are relatively new (Caves & Wagner, 2018).
The concept of livability is evaluated in different contexts for cities, but it also has a personal aspect. A city where an individual finds an environment where the living standards of his/her dreams are realised can be defined as livable. The fact that the qualities of the city are suitable for the people to sustain their lives is an indication that it is a livable city. Livability refers to the spatial, social and environmental characteristics and quality that will contribute to the individual and collective welfare of people and their sense of satisfaction from being a resident of that settlement (Keleş, 2010).
It is a known fact that people are in a flow towards cities for many reasons such as the industrial revolution, rural-urban conflict, and the excess of socio-economic opportunities in the city. Regardless of the reason why people prefer to live in cities, the general opinion shows that people come to cities with the demand to have certain living standards. Many factors affect the level of access to these standards (Şolt, 2018). Creating livable urban spaces has been the main field of endeavor of many different disciplines such as economics, politics, education, health, sociology and primarily urban planning discipline. The ever-increasing urban population in today's world geography and the environmental and health problems that arise accordingly have made it important to conduct research on the livability of cities, urban life quality and the criteria that make cities livable. In the most general definition, livability is the relationship between social, economic, structural and environmental elements affecting human beings (Kuru & Özkök, 2007).
The meaning of urban livability varies according to place, time, the purpose of the assessment and the value systems of the assessor. The concept of livability remains up to date and can be a common public policy objective of different stakeholder groups. The concept of "livable city" has been associated with population and size by some theorists since Plato, and with the ability of the entire urban population to manage the city with effective participation in the Greek civilisation. The contemporary meaning of livability is generally associated with the concepts of health, job opportunities, income status, good housing areas, schools, shopping and entertainment activities, accessibility, public spaces, and community (Oktay, 2007).
Urban research has argued that the discourse of livability often reflects the interests of the upper and middle classes. Livability has been characterized as a discourse that privileges consumption and individual choice over collective responsibility and civic ethos (Hankins & Powers, 2009). In response, urban researchers have argued against the notion of a 'just', 'good' or 'right' city. Although the discourse of livability has behen used by governments and housing corporations to promote their neo-liberal, profit-centered agendas, it is argued that the concept should be human-centered (Uitermark, 2009).
According to Kaal (2011), the concept of livability has assumed various roles in different contexts over the past half-century. In Europe in the late 1950s, 'livability' has been considered a citizenship right in terms of adequate housing, health services, employment opportunities, education and consumption, and leisure opportunities. However, the concept of livability has subsequently turned into political propaganda. The concept started to be included in the academic literature in the 1960s. In the 1990s, it became an important concept and started to be used frequently in daily life and in the media with the works of local governments (Kaal, 2011).
Livability principles have been taken as the concepts on which some city rehabilitation programs are based. For example, the city of Copenhagen has adopted livability elements based on sustainable environmental principles to improve the quality of life. In the last 30 years, Copenhagen has undergone a major transformation from a city in decline to one of the happiest and most prosperous cities in Europe. It has been emphasised that Copenhagen's responsibility as a liveable city goes beyond affordable housing, clean air, jobs and transport infrastructure, but also to create recreational spaces in the city where people can meet, gather and socialise. The aim is to build and maintain the social fabric that is so fundamental to resilient societies (URL-1).
The proposals for Barcelona addressed livability in the following terms. The debate on reclaiming street space for citizens has been one of the main themes in the history of contemporary urbanism. Vehicle restriction policies in central areas, the reconversion of motorways, efforts to mitigate the effects of infrastructure, planning for public transport networks, sustainable mobility schemes or the design of superblocks or sectors are just a few examples that always have the same objective: to humanize urban space, to make streets qualitatively more interesting and to ensure that the construction of infrastructure does not have too decisive an impact on the quality of life in urban areas and neighborhoods. In addition to creating political and technical solutions that bring balance and spatial justice to the city, it is increasingly important to promote more environmentally friendly urban environments and streets (Cárdenas & Maria Gravante, 2023).
The ability of cities to respond to human life, social and cultural needs, and to provide opportunities to live in a healthy environment have led some cities to be defined as liveable. Which city meets which criterion and to what extent is provided by analytical measurement of livability.

Measuring the Livability
Measuring urban livability aims to assess how well a city or region offers a good living environment for people. For this purpose, various indicators and parameters have been developed for livability assessment. Measuring livability is important for understanding and assessing how well a city or region offers a good living environment for people. This measurement is carried out in order to guide urban planning and design processes, to utilise resources effectively and to meet the needs of the society.
The concept of livability has been formulated by various organisations conducting research on cities around the world by using certain criteria and livability indices have been created. When the criteria used by these studies to measure the quality of urban life are analysed, it is seen that the main headings such as political environment, social environment, physical and cultural environment quality, quality of public services such as education and health, and accessibility are used in common (Kuru & Özkök, 2017).
Livability research is a research process in which reputable research units, journals or websites around the world subject cities to a research process in line with specified criteria. Within the scope of this study, Mercer Quality of Life Survey, Economist Intelligence Unit Livability Ranking, AARP Livability Index and Monocle's Most Liveable City Index have been analysed (Table 1).

Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) Talks under Urban Planning Topic
TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) conferences are events where experts, thinkers, artists, scientists and leaders from all over the world come together to share impressive speeches. TED Conferences, which first started in 1984, have inspired independent organizations such as TEDx in the following years (URL-6).
Speakers are specialized in a wide range of subjects. They cover a wide range of topics such as science, technology, art, psychology, leadership, and human rights. The topics of the talks refer to the world agenda, as well as changing discourses, scientific and technological developments and social problems around the world. TED talks usually last 18 minutes or less. This limited time is important in terms of effective use of time, which is the most valuable asset of people in modern times. In addition, this time constraint encourages speakers to express their thoughts clearly and effectively. Another important advantage of TED talks is their worldwide visibility and easy accessibility. Since the talks are broadcast over the internet, people all over the world can access this content for free.
The discipline of urban design, which is shaped by the intersection of social, cultural, political, historical, economic and technological developments affecting the city and people, is an important discussion area for TED talks. In this context, the contents of TED talks, which offer inspiring ideas to the audience on how urban life can be designed in a more sustainable, livable and effective way, are the focus of the study. Within the scope of the study, 65 TED talks published between 2007-2023 have been analyzed (Table 2).

Method of Research
In the study focusing on the meaning and reading of urban livability, research techniques under the umbrella of qualitative research have been examined in order to analyse the complex and multifaceted structure of the concept of livability, which is the main element. Among these techniques, content analysis overlaps with the purpose and method of the study since it supports the hidden meanings in qualitative data with both qualitative and quantitative findings. Within the framework of content analysis, categorical analysis has been made based on frequency frequencies (Figure 1). Speeches by educators, artists, designers, architecture critics, experts, thinkers and scientists who participated in TED Talks on urban planning have been analysed using NVivo qualitative data analysis software.

Analysis
Maanen (1979) considers qualitative research as an umbrella term and defines it as "a set of processes involving techniques that seek to define, analyze, interpret and arrive at terms related to meaning" (Van Maanen, 1979).
Qualitative research starts with assumptions, a broad perspective, the use of theoretical approaches as much as possible, and research problem that focus on social or individual problems and the people and groups associated with them. In order to work on these problems, the qualitative researcher uses one of the existing qualitative research methods or approaches, collects data in a natural environment related to the people or regions that are the subject in the light of this method, analyses the data to see the big picture for the purpose of deduction, and creates themes or models. The report or presentation to be written at the end of the research includes the voices of the participants, the researcher's reflection on these voices, a broad definition of the problem and comments on this problem (Creswell, 2007).

Content Analysis
Just as people looking at the same place cannot see the same thing, the same word, text or picture can be perceived differently by the people who come into contact with it. People who are the recipients of discourse may perceive it differently due to differences in their perceptions. For this reason, Bilgin (2014) stated that all discourses, no matter what type they are, need to be deciphered, decoded, interpreted and inferred because they are language elements (Bilgin, 2014).
The main purpose of content analysis is to summarise and broadly define a concept with codes and categories. The general purpose of these codes and categories is to create a model, conceptual system, conceptual map or conceptual categories (Güler et al., 2015).
Content analysis is the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the meanings hidden in texts or transcripts or the messages that are intended to be given there, by following a certain systematic in the form of codes and categories and analyzing these concepts and categories quantitatively and qualitatively (Bazeley, 2003;Güler et al., 2015).

NVIVO Qualitative Analysis Software
Computer software is a tool that helps the researcher to make his/her study more accurate, faster and more comprehensive through recorded or analyzed data. Through such software, the data analysis process is made more understandable and systematic. Such software organizes, categorizes and codes the data collected through various methods and is used for reporting the whole process. At the same time, this software also offers various opportunities to researchers in the process of visualizing qualitative data (Yakut Çayır & Sarıtaş, 2017).
In this context, there are various software that can be used in computer-aided qualitative data analysis. NVivo qualitative data analysis software is the most widely used package program in qualitative data analysis studies because it is a program about which the most books have been written and introduced to researchers (Yakut Çayır & Sarıtaş, 2017). For this reason, NVivo /14 program has been preferred for the analysis of the data compiled within the scope of the study and visual models.

Research Model
A well-designed research model in highly patterned subjects where the meaning does not give itself directly, clarifies the steps of the study and makes it easy to comprehend and not to move too far away from the starting point as the process progresses.
For this purpose, a research model has been created by using qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques in the context of qualitative research method (Figure 2). Based on the first research question, it has been focused on the existence and quantitative frequencies of words and concepts related to liveable cities. This research model consists of five main steps: extraction of livability concepts from the literature, reducing concepts to codes, determination of the sample group, conceptual analysis of texts via NVivo and discussion ( Figure 2). The first two steps in the study model are the determination of the codes, which are the basis for the content analysis to be carried out in the NVivo-14 interface, through the literature. In obtaining the codes, the parameters of the Mercer Quality of Life Survey, Economist Intelligence Unit Livability Ranking and AARP Livability Index and Monocle's Most Liveable City Index, which have been used in the livability measurements of cities, have been utilized. Among these parameters, 11 main codes have been identified, which are targeted to provide data to urban and architectural design disciplines since they are suitable for the research question and purpose. The concepts obtained from urban and livability readings and selected with the foresight that they will directly affect the design consist of architectural design, economy, environment and sustainability, housing, life satisfaction, policy, quality, security, transportation, urban design and urban health, and these codes include related sub-codes (Figure 3). In order to determine the expressions used as material when questioning the concepts related to "livability" in urban planning research, TED Talks, which deal with current and popular topics, have been consulted. In the third step in which the sample group has been determined, 65 videos on the TED homepage on the topic of "Urban Planning" from 2007 to the present day have been accessed (URL-6). The speeches in these videos have been transcribed and converted into text and transferred to the Nvivo interface.
At the stage where intensive readings and conceptual analyses have been made over the speech texts, 2 types of analyses have been conducted. Firstly, while reading the text, the contents have been categorized according to the upper and lower codes. With this categorization, it has been seen which codes each text responded to. Secondly, file classification has been made and the texts have been categorized on the basis of year. With the analysis of the video texts, year and code frequencies have been obtained, thus completing the content analysis process.
In the discussion and Evaluation phase, which is the next step of the model, categorical analysis, which can be expressed as measuring the numerical, percentage and proportional frequency of repetition of the determined categories (Bilgin, 2014), has been applied and the change of these frequencies over the years has been read.

Discussion of Code Frequency
The concept of livability consists of codes and sub-codes. As a result of the analyses on the livability of cities, it has been observed that the codes and quantitative values of these codes in the speech texts have changed. The existence of this variable and various parameters represents the unique differences in the definition of livable cities.
In the context of content analysis, the texts of TED talks titled "Urban Planning" between 2007 and 2023 have been compiled by the authors and questioned through "Livability Codes" consisting of 11 main codes and sub-codes. This preliminary study is a working base for the content analysis to be conducted.
After the content analysis of all texts constituting the sample group, the data obtained have been analyzed and interpreted from a holistic perspective. In this direction, the order of main codes and sub-codes according to code frequency is given in Table 3.  (23) Energy (42) Climate (40) Agriculture (23) Cultural Availability (22) Cleaning (18) Sporting Availability (7) Lighting (4) 179 Life Satisfaction (10) Socialability (26) Equality (19) Beloning (18) Communication (17) Happiness (16) 106 Economy (29) Technology (50) Job Opportunity (12) Income (9) 100 Architectural Design (57)  57 Housing (28) Affordability (18) Squatter's House (9)  55 Transportation (20) Quality of Network (12) Bikeability (11) Public Transformation (11) 54 Policy (22) Population Density (14) 36 Urban Health (21) 21 Security (19) 19 In Table 3, the data obtained through the frequency distributions of the graphics and codes are discussed. Accordingly, in the content analysis of the speeches, the emphasis on "urban design", which is associated with the human-oriented and livable nature of cities and includes sub-codes such as participation, sociability and accessibility, comes to the fore. The sub-codes of "infrastructure, neighborhood and street life" have been discussed in the top ranks in the quantitative data query under the upper heading of urban design. The frequent use of these concepts is based on the fact that they are the factors that primarily affect the design of the city and human relations.
Then, the discussions on "environment and sustainability", "life satisfaction" and "economy", which are essential in terms of the quality of the built environment of cities, have been repeated frequently. The most frequently discussed codes under the subheading "environment and sustainability" have been energy and climate, referring to today's ecological discoursesThe most common code under the concept of life satisfaction, which expresses the semantic bond that people establish with the city in liveable cities, has been sociability. In line with this data, it is inferred that liveability and human relations are handled together with each other. In the data obtained, the fact that the concept of "economy", which is an essential parameter in the livability of cities, is handled in the top ranks and the emphasis on the concept of technology within the subcodes has emphasized the importance of technological developments in urban design discussions and it has been seen that cities with these developments are considered as livable.
When all the concepts independent of the main and sub-codes have been analyzed, it has been found that the concepts of "architectural design", "technology", "energy" and "climate" have been repeated most intensively (Figure 4). This data, on the other hand, showed the primary effect of architectural design elements on urban living opportunities, and the human-oriented, standardcompliant design of the architectural design that constitutes the urban built environment and access to these designs have been overlapped with the concept of livability. Finally, it has been determined that the concept of lighting, which has been handled under the title of "environment and sustainability", has been the least discussed code.

Changing of Code Frequencies between 2007 and 2023
In order to discuss the changes in the main and sub-concepts of all readings made in the context of the study over the years, the matrix code frequency image obtained from the Nvivo program is given ( Figure 5). In this visual, as can be read from the colour changes, the frequency of use of the codes is directly proportional to the darkness of the colour tone. • The concept of "environment and sustainability", which started to be discussed in 2009, has been frequently repeated in all speeches until today; even with the 2020 pandemic process, it ranked 1st every year with an intense frequency difference, • In 2012 and afterward, the concept of "economy" is frequently used in speeches by associating it with other concepts, • Unlike other years, in 2015, the concept of "security" and the concepts of "policy" and "quality" associated with this concept have been emphasized by the speaker, • Between 2015-2019, the codes have been concentrated around "architectural design", "economy″ and "urban design"; According to the year-based analyzes, the "urban design" headline is the most discussed and the "walkability" and "accessibility" codes are emphasized, • It has been observed that the concept of "transportation" has been included in the content of speeches as of 2016 due to uncontrolled growing cities, vehicle and pedestrian density and has been frequently emphasized until today.

Conclusion
Livability is an important concept in terms of design, planning and management of cities. Livable cities are places that provide people with the opportunity to establish social relations with other people in a healthy and safe environment and offer an economically sustainable life. Based on the assumption that the concept of urban liveability has a very important place in today's discussions, a conceptual reading has been made on liveability and data have been obtained through content analysis.
The aim of this study is to present a qualitative research proposal for the determination of effective concepts in the formation of livable cities. The content of the research is considered important in terms of making sense of liveability and creating conceptual data in the field of urban design and offers an innovative approach to literature research by referring to current discussion platforms within the scope of the study.
Within the scope of the limitations of the study, according to the content analyses, it has been seen that the codes "architectural design", "technology", "energy" and "climate" have been predominantly discussed about livable cities, respectively. In this respect, it can be said that the livability of cities can be revealed within the framework of the climate crisis, ecology discussions and energy efficiency discourses that are frequently discussed today, and architectural designs that follow the technological level of the age.
As a result, the design of livable cities is a vital issue affecting the quality of life of society. In this sense, the factors in the formation of livable cities as a result of the analyses constitute the main results of the study: • Multidisciplinary Approach: It is important that different fields such as architectural design, urban planning, landscape design, sustainability, sociology and economy come together and work together on the livability of cities, since the concepts obtained are the priority discussion topics of different disciplines.
• Environment and Sustainability: It states that sustainable energy use and reduction of environmental impacts are important in the creation of livable cities. It focuses on issues such as green buildings, energy efficient systems. Recreation areas, children's playgrounds, access to sports and cultural areas and natural environment elements increase the quality of life in cities and are important in terms of livability as they are considered as solutions to environmental problems.
• Walkability and Transportation: Effective and sustainable transport is one of the basic elements of livable cities. Accessibility factors such as public transport systems, pedestrian and bicycle routes have an important place in livable city design.
• Equality and participation: It emphasizes that livable cities should be based on the principles of social equality and participation. It is important that all segments of society are represented and their needs are taken into account in urban design and planning processes.
• Sociability and Communication: Promoting public spaces and social interaction helps to strengthen social life. This is important for liveability.
As a result, making sense of the concept of liveability guides the urban design process and helps to shape the design in a way that contributes to human needs, comfort and quality of life. In this way, it is aimed to create more sustainable, healthy and liveable cities. The concept of liveability, which shapes the future of cities and includes parameters such as ecology, technology, security, design and politics, can evolve over time with social, economic and technological changes. Future needs and trends may affect the concept of urban liveability.