Post-pandemic lifestyle changes and their interaction with resident behavior in housing and neighborhoods: Bursa, Turkey

COVID-19 pandemic has re-raised questions about healthy housing and residential environments. The aim of this study is to examine lifestyle changes during the pandemic and their reflections in the use of housing. The study also compares households on different socioeconomic levels in Bursa, the study area. Bursa is a Turkish metropolis that was affected by the spread of COVID-19. Data were collected from 500 residents of 30 neighborhoods in the city’s three most populous districts, Osmangazi, Nilüfer and Yildirim. The participants were selected using stratified sampling and interviewed face-to-face using questionnaires. Reliability analysis, frequency distributions, descriptive statistics, ANOVA and the chi-squared test were used to evaluate the data. The results indicate that the participants’ hygiene habits, shopping behaviors, transportation habits and frequency of their contact with neighbors and friends have changed. Most of the participants live in apartments, and they need flexible designs that can be used for different purposes. They need toilets and ventilation spaces at the entrances of their homes. The use of balconies has increased. During the pandemic, the use of urban green spaces decreased in general, and the use of open areas around homes increased. High-income residents have advantages in terms of lifestyle, housing and residential environments, so their awareness about and observance of pandemic rules were higher. Lifestyles, housing, residential environments and urban opportunities differ as a result of socioeconomic segregation, and lower-income residents are more vulnerable to disease. Future studies should consider potential risks to humanity in order to address the housing-related problems of disadvantaged groups.