**4. Conclusions**

Cognitive maps provide the ability to determine the perception of the physical environment in which individuals live according to their experiences. The emergence of this perception is influenced by what the individual lives, sees, hears, and reads. However, it will not be sufficient for studies to determine the urban identity on an urban scale. Because, as Twersky pointed out in his work, the "cognitive map" metaphor does not reflect the complexity and richness of environmental knowledge [28]. In order to reach a scientific conclusion in the context of urban identity in the cognitive maps, it is necessary to increase the number of individuals used in the subjects such as age, gender, and education. In addition, data obtained from cognitive maps should be supported by questionnaires. However, even the results obtained from such a study using cognitive maps may change over time.

In the study, it is seen that experience is more important than time factor in the formation of perception of physical environment. If only urban images were compared, the fact that fourth grade students drew more elements and details in their cognitive maps could be related to the time factor. However, when each urban image is evaluated in detail, it is seen that this interpretation is wrong because, in a small urban area such as a campus, students who spent both 1 and 4 years showed the physical environment they experienced in their cognitive maps. In this context, it is seen that the experience factor is more important than the time factor in the increase of the data obtained in cognitive maps.
