Our physical environment is changing continuously under the effect of natural, cultural and economic
systems which influence people’s lifestyles. As lifestyles change, people’s way of spending their
leisure time and leisure activity preferences also change. Urban open public spaces such as parks
seem to lose their popularity as shopping malls have become the new leisure centers due to the
increasing need “to consume” of today’s societies. Changing leisure and recreational preferences of
middleclass citizens of Ankara are the focus of this study. Leisure and recreational preferences, and the
factors affecting these preferences, are investigated and analyzed through questionnaires. The findings
suggest that people tend to spend their leisure time indoors as their first choice, and if they prefer
going out, shopping malls are the favorite places to spend their leisure time rather than open and green
spaces. Multifacility, climate control and security are the most important factors that affect the
preference for shopping malls. However, the increasing popularity of shopping malls may cause a
decrease in the use of and importance assigned to open and green spaces, resulting in poor urban life
quality. Authorities and related disciplines should define the leisure behavior patterns of the public to
develop appropriate policies and strategies that would promote the quality of urban life.