Figen Akpınar | İZMİR INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (original) (raw)

Papers by Figen Akpınar

Research paper thumbnail of Planning of rural areas in the vicinity of the metropolitan areas after the new jurisdiction, ‘complete city law’: a case from Izmir

Ecology and the Environment, May 19, 2015

At the turn of the 1980s, Turkey’s economic policy went through a radical transformation by adopt... more At the turn of the 1980s, Turkey’s economic policy went through a radical transformation by adopting new liberal economy based on exports versus the import substitution policy. During the 1980s, liberalisation and privatisation policies led to the withdrawal of the public subvention mechanism to the agricultural sector that caused rapid immigration to the urban areas and abandonment of the agricultural land. No doubt about it, rural areas in the vicinity of the metropolitan cities, are affected the most adversely as the consequence of the attempts, and encouraged the expansion and suburbanization. On the other hand the new jurisdiction on rural areas, the Law of 6360 (2012) has been the turning point in the Municipal Administrative Structure in Turkey. The law has extended the city boundaries along with the provincial areas including villages and mid-sized provincial districts found in the metropolitan areas. The law abolished all the villages’ rural status and converted them to the ordinary neighborhoods of the central metropolitan city. Within these circumstances, the objective of the study is to discuss the possible effects of the new jurisdiction on the rural areas in the planning process.

Research paper thumbnail of Sociospatial Segregation and Consumption Profile of Ankara in the Context of Globalization

"Consumption patterns, although extremely elusive, are just as important to tract as prices on th... more "Consumption patterns, although extremely elusive, are just as important to tract as prices on the stock exchange. Douglas and Isherwood (1979, 89) The ''Global City Hypothesis'' argues that the economic restructuring of the new global economy produces highly uneven and polarized employment structure in urban society (1). Today, large global cities are marked by unusually high levels of income inequality. The significant increase in foreign investment and the arrival of the multinational corporations along with the major accounting, advertising, and marketing firms and the fashion, design and entertainment industry caused changes both in spatial and demographic configuration and the internal structure of large metropolitan cities. The consequence of the economic restructuring is 'class polarization' characterized by a number of high income professionals and managerial jobs, and a vast population of low income causal, informal and temporary forms at the bottom. The effects of liberalization policies resulted in unprecedented fragmentation and polarization within the 'middle class' with the worsening public sector functionaries as some employees of the multinational firms had become wealthier (Kandiyoti, 2002, 5). This new wealth has engendered new social groups characterized as 'young professionals' or 'new job elite' with an increasingly educated cohorts of leading business with affluent lifestyles and consumption patterns similar to their global counterparts. Though such changes and processes occur to some extent in most developed world cities, the approach by the global city theorists seems to be accepted as the valid and elucidative pattern in general, and imposes a kind of generalization that in reality there are more counter evidences even in leading world cities and other metropolitan areas of the world which reveal different pattern (Maloutas, 2007, 734). The objective of the article is to measure empirically the impact of globalization on reconfiguration of the sociospatial segregation trends in Ankara during the late 1990s and beginnings of 2000s. The article examines

Research paper thumbnail of Historic Collective Shelter as Heritage: The Cases in Hurşidiye, Kurtuluş and Sakarya Neighborhoods in Konak, İzmir

Art-sanat dergisi, Aug 10, 2021

Historical collective shelters, yahuthanes or cortejos, are an alternative form of housing that w... more Historical collective shelters, yahuthanes or cortejos, are an alternative form of housing that were developed to provide secure sheltering of the groups who were disadvantaged in terms of economic, social, and cultural aspects in the Ottoman city. They have played a significant role in history as a building type that made possible cohabitation of groups, with moral and material problems, and struggling to maintain their integrity despite hardship. This study deals with a group of historical collective shelters in the traditional commercial center of İzmir dating mainly to the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries. The objective is to understand the historic evolution of collective shelters (yahuthane, cortejo) in Hurşidiye, Kurtuluş and Sakarya neighborhoods of Konak district in İzmir, to define their cultural values, to analyze their social and spatial development, to present their physical characteristics and evaluate their preservation problems. Eleven collective shelters were documented in the studied site, which is a portion of the traditional commercial center of İzmir (Kemeraltı). The site comprehends the ruins of the Roman Agora and the remains of the public buildings dating to the pre-modernization period of the Ottoman Empire as well as the late Ottoman urban layout. As a method, the preliminary studies were reviewed, the land registers were surveyed, the present base map together with the historical maps were overlapped and the case studies were conducted using conventional techniques of architectural and urban conservation. The study has documented the interaction of Muslim and Jewish communities and how the collective living habits of these ethnic groups living in collective shelters differed from standard residential life at the end of the 19 th and beginning of the 20 th centuries in the traditional commercial center of İzmir. Though collective shelters in the historic center of İzmir have been studied in the literature, their specific location on the map was not available. This study has provided locations of the shelters and evaluated the architectural characteristics of their remains. The traces and remains of the historic collective shelters should be preserved as elements contributing to the integrity of the multi layered city.

Research paper thumbnail of Urban protection and renewal dilemma: İzmir Mezarlıkbaşı Abstract

İTÜ dergisi A, 2021

At the beginning of the 21 st century, efforts to preserve cultural heritage in historical settle... more At the beginning of the 21 st century, efforts to preserve cultural heritage in historical settlements is a highly problematic and multi-faceted issue in Turkey. Although conservation legislation dates back to 60 years ago, heritage conservation has not been internalized and accepted in the wider part of society, and, has not established a sound political foundation. On the other, however, there is also a lack of integrated land-use planning and management. The purpose of this study is to present the difficulties of dealing with the conservation, renewal, and regeneration for heritage areas in the historic core of İzmir, Mezarlıkbaşı-Kemeraltı, as well as to discuss the intrinsic physical qualities, dynamic characters and diversity of community groups with a view of new spatial agenda. The objective of the study is therefore twofold: 1) documentation of the physical characteristics and values for understanding the place; 2) to evaluate incorporating integrated strategic planning and management approach pointing the need for incorporating, leadership, partnership, integration and inclusion as a policy guideline for the safeguarding the heritage area. Our findings show that the Municipality of İzmir has made a significant attempt as TARKEM's leadership position, which has succeeded in attracting national and international interest in Kemeraltı and creating opportunities for the future, but partnership (operation), management (structure) and inclusion (its processes) still lack. Community groups are not seen as part of the planning activities and planning has been remote, fragmented and exclusively missing an integrated planning management approach. Keywords Safeguarding cultural heritage, Conservation planning and legislation, A strategic management of cultural heritage, Policy guideline for management of cultural heritage.

Research paper thumbnail of Class Dimension of Housing Inequalities in the New Era of Liberalization: A Case Study in Ankara (1)

I believe that whoever owns a house in these times is wealthy. I wish I could own a house and not... more I believe that whoever owns a house in these times is wealthy. I wish I could own a house and not pay this rent. (2) The impact of global restructuring of the economy on the social geography of the city is twofold: at one extreme the pattern of stratification has changed with the emergence of new social layer of high-level professionals working in the finance sector and specialized services, at the other, there has been an increase in the informal, causal low-skilled, low-paid labour. The extreme inequality of the new era can distinguish itself with its magnitude in both social and spatial terms. The measurement of class-based inequality has been generally incorporated with income and earnings produced as a consequence of the sphere of production, i.e. labour market. The role of the household in the labour market is accepted as the main factor in determining the level of welfare and standard of living. However, in actuality, the factors that identify the income inequality cannot be limited by the sphere of production. There is common consensus that a social grouping identified by the sphere of reproduction (consumption) and exchange mechanism is needed for fully-fledge stratification and class analysis. This paper tries to show that not just income, but also the sphere of social reproduction including the housing dimension, has to be incorporated in the measurement of the deep social divide that exists between haves and have-nots. The objective here is to discuss the criterion employed in the measurement of class based segregation in urban structure. The major assertion is that not income but also housing is of utmost importance for the analysis of the class-based segregation in Ankara's urban structure. Special attention is paid to the relationship between the concepts of "social polarization", "social stratification" and socio-spatial divide in terms of material value, living conditions and ownership pattern of housing in the intermediary period of the late 1990s and the early 2000s in Ankara. This study is an attempt to fulfill a research on the untouched and insufficiently

Research paper thumbnail of Using Personal Rapid Transit as an Effective Transport Solution in Historical Downtown Areas: A Case from Historic Kemeraltı, İzmir

Journal of Planning, 2023

Many issues related to the conservation of urban heritage are closely related to the transit syst... more Many issues related to the conservation of urban heritage are closely related to the transit system and the use of private transportation. Regeneration, revitalization, and/or heritage conservation are not properly managed due to problems arising directly from inconvenient transport solutions that cannot provide or resolve the accessibility and mobility needs of vulnerable groups together with inappropriate space management while indirectly causing economic shrinkage and loss of vitality. Furthermore, even if modern modes of transportation are used, they will cause significant environmental and societal difficulties, making them unsuitable for such sensitive places. This article, using a microsimulation approach, investigates whether a Personal Rapid Transit system is physically applicable, and whether it can meet existing travel requirements to prove that it is sufficient for the needs of local level mobility, and finally whether other environmental/ social impacts such that land use, air pollution, safety, sustainability are positive or negative. As a method, these outputs of the system application are presented as validations of the usefulness of the PRT. Finally, it was found that there is a gain in productivity in terms of mobility as well as other socioeconomic benefits besides the physical applicability of the method. The study's goal is to get the information out about how PRT technology may help produce more ecologically friendly and sustainable solutions while also conserving historical assets.

Research paper thumbnail of Ankara kentinin sosyal tabakalaşması ve tüketim profili :Ankara konut alanlarında örnek çalışma

This dissertation attempts to develop a social stratification model considering its spatial dimen... more This dissertation attempts to develop a social stratification model considering its spatial dimension for the households in the city of Ankara. The spatiality of social class has rarely been in the agenda of scholars and has not been explored empirically. For this reason, the study aims to test the hypothesis that social segregation in Turkish cities is empirically measurable and manifests itself in the common patterns of behaviours and similar conditioning of existence in the urban space. The focus of attention of the thesis is based on the relationship between the material inequalities of different social strata within its territorial context. If a class becomes a social reality, this must be shown in the formation of common patterns of behaviour and attitude, and manifests itself in urban space. In short the scope of the study is a twofold: Thesis questions are: (1) how and upon what basis social groups and strata can be located in the economic and socio-cultural structure of the...

Research paper thumbnail of Transfer of Development Rights for Agricultural Land Protection in Izmir's Periphery: A Case Study in Torbalı

5th International Conference of Contemporary Affairs in Architecture and Urbanism, 2022

Turkey has been experiencing rapid urbanization and urban expansion since the 1950s. With the pro... more Turkey has been experiencing rapid urbanization and urban expansion since the 1950s. With the processes of decentralization, the city is increasingly being brought into rural areas, building pressure is increasing, agricultural production and natural resources are being destroyed, and rural areas are increasingly fitted with urban uses (shopping, tourism, leisure activities, etc.). Rural areas in close proximity to urban areas are more vulnerable to development pressures and are at risk of being abolished or abandoned. On the other hand, with the enactment of the new regulations Transfer of Development Rights is entered Turkish Planning System as a new and innovative solutions. However, there has been any available application of the TDR yet. The study's objective is to assess the TDR's effectiveness as a tool for protecting agricultural land on the periphery of Izmir's large metropolitan area. Izmir's Torbalı district was chosen as a case study regarding intensive agricultural activity. A bundle of techniques is used including a large survey analysis of the area. A hypothetical mathematical model was applied for assessing and transferring the market-base value for the agricultural land.

Research paper thumbnail of Urban protection and renewal dilemma: İzmir Mezarlıkbaşı Abstract

A/Z : ITU journal of Faculty of Architecture, 2021

At the beginning of the 21 st century, efforts to preserve cultural heritage in historical settle... more At the beginning of the 21 st century, efforts to preserve cultural heritage in historical settlements is a highly problematic and multi-faceted issue in Turkey. Although conservation legislation dates back to 60 years ago, heritage conservation has not been internalized and accepted in the wider part of society, and, has not established a sound political foundation. On the other, however, there is also a lack of integrated land-use planning and management. The purpose of this study is to present the difficulties of dealing with the conservation, renewal, and regeneration for heritage areas in the historic core of İzmir, Mezarlıkbaşı-Kemeraltı, as well as to discuss the intrinsic physical qualities, dynamic characters and diversity of community groups with a view of new spatial agenda. The objective of the study is therefore twofold: 1) documentation of the physical characteristics and values for understanding the place; 2) to evaluate incorporating integrated strategic planning and management approach pointing the need for incorporating, leadership, partnership, integration and inclusion as a policy guideline for the safeguarding the heritage area. Our findings show that the Municipality of İzmir has made a significant attempt as TARKEM's leadership position, which has succeeded in attracting national and international interest in Kemeraltı and creating opportunities for the future, but partnership (operation), management (structure) and inclusion (its processes) still lack. Community groups are not seen as part of the planning activities and planning has been remote, fragmented and exclusively missing an integrated planning management approach. Keywords Safeguarding cultural heritage, Conservation planning and legislation, A strategic management of cultural heritage, Policy guideline for management of cultural heritage.

Research paper thumbnail of Planning of rural areas in the vicinity of the metropolitan areas after the new jurisdiction, ‘complete city law’: a case from Izmir

Sustainable Development and Planning VII, 2015

At the turn of the 1980s, Turkey’s economic policy went through a radical transformation by adopt... more At the turn of the 1980s, Turkey’s economic policy went through a radical transformation by adopting new liberal economy based on exports versus the import substitution policy. During the 1980s, liberalisation and privatisation policies led to the withdrawal of the public subvention mechanism to the agricultural sector that caused rapid immigration to the urban areas and abandonment of the agricultural land. No doubt about it, rural areas in the vicinity of the metropolitan cities, are affected the most adversely as the consequence of the attempts, and encouraged the expansion and suburbanization. On the other hand the new jurisdiction on rural areas, the Law of 6360 (2012) has been the turning point in the Municipal Administrative Structure in Turkey. The law has extended the city boundaries along with the provincial areas including villages and mid-sized provincial districts found in the metropolitan areas. The law abolished all the villages’ rural status and converted them to the ordinary neighborhoods of the central metropolitan city. Within these circumstances, the objective of the study is to discuss the possible effects of the new jurisdiction on the rural areas in the planning process.

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluation of the conservation activities in the historical settlement Tenedos-Bozcaada Island

Sustainable Development and Planning V, 2011

The efforts for the conservation of cultural heritage in historical settlements are a highly prob... more The efforts for the conservation of cultural heritage in historical settlements are a highly problematic and multi-faceted issue in Turkey. Although the conservation legislation dates back 50 years, the cultural heritage has not been internalized and not accepted in wider parts of the society and, has not found a solid political base. The historical and cultural heritage areas are mostly marketed for tourism and turned into places as the simulacrum of the elitist and middle class tastes. Tenedos (Bozcaada) Island inherits the rich cultural heritage of two millennia.The Island is in danger of losing its social, cultural and multi-ethnical characteristic where Turkish and Greek societies live harmoniously. The architectural, economic and ecological values are also in danger because of the rise of touristic activities and the construction of vacation homes as well as the State's withdrawal to provide subsidy to the agricultural sector that took place after the 1980s in parallel with the general economic policies adopting global economic restructuring. The objective of the paper is to highlight the multidimensional character of the social and spatial process which is enmeshed in the conservation activities of the Island. The values and norms, social, economic considerations in the conservation activities need a new approach and, without existence of a common will and a wider participation of the society it is hard to expect any success in the conservation of the rich cultural values, and to assess, develop and carry them into the future. A bundle of techniques are used: a large survey analysis of the area is realized and its social, historical and physical characteristics are documented. Questionnaires, in-depth interviews are used in order to detect the difficulties for conservation of the heritage in part of the responsible public bodies. The public and tourism sector opinions, thoughts and aspirations are surveyed. Even though,

Research paper thumbnail of Sociospatial and Consumption Profile of Ankara in the Context of Globalisation

Middle East Technical University Journal of the Faculty …

... Search result page. Title: SOCIOSPATIAL AND CONSUMPTION PROFILE OF ANKARA IN THE CONTEXT OF G... more ... Search result page. Title: SOCIOSPATIAL AND CONSUMPTION PROFILE OF ANKARA IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBALISATION. Author: Figen AKPINAR. Abstract: Journal: Middle East Technical University Journal of the Faculty of Architecture. Issn: 02585316. EIssn: Year: 2009. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Sociospatial Segregation and Consumption Profile of Ankara in the Context of Globalization

METU JFA, 2009

Economic restructuration implies increasingly dual and unequal employment structure and causes em... more Economic restructuration implies increasingly dual and unequal employment structure and causes emergence of unfragmented, uneven sociospatial structure, especially in the advanced capitalist countries (Sassen, 1991). Heavily emphasized that this process is not ...

Research paper thumbnail of Class Dimension of Housing Inequalities in the New Era of Liberalization: A Case Study in Ankara (1)

METU JFA, 2008

1. This study compiles a series of empirical stratification studies applied to Ankara at the end ... more 1. This study compiles a series of empirical stratification studies applied to Ankara at the end of twentieth century and at the beginning of the twenty-first century. In the Ph. D. thesis, I had discussed the socio-spatial segregation of Ankara by employing a wide range of spatial ...

Research paper thumbnail of Historic Collective Shelter as Heritage: The Cases in Hurşidiye, Kurtuluş and Sakarya Neighborhoods in Konak, İzmir

Art-Sanat, 2021

Historical collective shelters, yahuthanes or cortejos, are an alternative form of housing that w... more Historical collective shelters, yahuthanes or cortejos, are an alternative form of housing that were developed to provide secure sheltering of the groups who were disadvantaged in terms of economic, social, and cultural aspects in the Ottoman city. They have played a significant role in history as a building type that made possible cohabitation of groups, with moral and material problems, and struggling to maintain their integrity despite hardship. This study deals with a group of historical collective shelters in the traditional commercial center of İzmir dating mainly to the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries. The objective is to understand the historic evolution of collective shelters (yahuthane, cortejo) in Hurşidiye, Kurtuluş and Sakarya neighborhoods of Konak district in İzmir, to define their cultural values, to analyze their social and spatial development, to present their physical characteristics and evaluate their preservation problems. Eleven collective shelters were documented in the studied site, which is a portion of the traditional commercial center of İzmir (Kemeraltı). The site comprehends the ruins of the Roman Agora and the remains of the public buildings dating to the pre-modernization period of the Ottoman Empire as well as the late Ottoman urban layout. As a method, the preliminary studies were reviewed, the land registers were surveyed, the present base map together with the historical maps were overlapped and the case studies were conducted using conventional techniques of architectural and urban conservation. The study has documented the interaction of Muslim and Jewish communities and how the collective living habits of these ethnic groups living in collective shelters differed from standard residential life at the end of the 19 th and beginning of the 20 th centuries in the traditional commercial center of İzmir. Though collective shelters in the historic center of İzmir have been studied in the literature, their specific location on the map was not available. This study has provided locations of the shelters and evaluated the architectural characteristics of their remains. The traces and remains of the historic collective shelters should be preserved as elements contributing to the integrity of the multi layered city.

Research paper thumbnail of Contribution of the Personal Rapid Transit PRT Systems to the Road Safety a Scenario Based Comparative Evaluation

Hong Kong Society for Transportation Studies, 2012

Though the number of "real ground" PRT projects are few, it can be possible to ... more Though the number of "real ground" PRT projects are few, it can be possible to deduce some hypothetical safety conclusions. For the very optimist assumption that the control algorithms will only "allow" them to operate in non-collision mode on the network, the safety figures are re-evaluated for two urban settings: First (1) is the case where the urban design was fully recreated based on PRT system, as in the Masdar City, in which no other transport mode is allowed. The other (2) is the hypothetical PRT system would be embedded into the existing transportation system. The two cases of the safety measures and cost figures are compared and evaluated to evaluate the opportunities and pitfalls by the application of a PRT system via the scenario analysis. By doing so, after description of the present situation, there comes the construction of possible alternative futures to compare with the present one. It can be deduced that, even if the safety figures of PRT system are hypothetical, PRT-based urban environments promise a lot in terms of safety levels (as far as 80 per cent) with, however, the expense of financial burden for the local government. Yet, for low-cost solution, PRT-embedded urban environments also provide promising results compared to "doing nothing" as far as 30 per cent reductions, in accidents in total and 44 per cent in deaths.

Research paper thumbnail of Historic Collective Shelter as Heritage: The Cases in Hurşidiye, Kurtuluş and Sakarya Neighborhoods in Konak, Izmir Miras olarak Tarihî Toplu Barınaklar: Izmir, Konak'taki Hurşidiye, Kurtuluş ve Sakarya Mahallerindeki Örnekler

Historical collective shelters, yahuthanes or cortejos, are an alternative form of housing that w... more Historical collective shelters, yahuthanes or cortejos, are an alternative form of housing that were developed to provide secure sheltering of the groups who were disadvantaged in terms of economic, social, and cultural aspects in the Ottoman city. They have played a significant role in history as a building type that made possible cohabitation of groups, with moral and material problems, and struggling to maintain their integrity despite hardship. This study deals with a group of historical collective shelters in the traditional commercial center of Izmir dating mainly to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The objective is to understand the historic evolution of collective shelters (yahuthane, cortejo) in Hursidiye, Kurtulus and Sakarya neighborhoods of Konak district in Izmir, to define their cultural values, to analyze their social and spatial development, to present their physical characteristics and evaluate their preservation problems. Eleven collective shelters were documented in the studied site, which is a portion of the traditional commercial center of Izmir (Kemeralti). The site comprehends the ruins of the Roman Agora and the remains of the public buildings dating to the pre-modernization period of the Ottoman Empire as well as the late Ottoman urban layout. As a method, the preliminary studies were reviewed, the land registers were surveyed, the present base map together with the historical maps were overlapped and the case studies were conducted using conventional techniques of architectural and urban conservation. The study has documented the interaction of Muslim and Jewish communities and how the collective living habits of these ethnic groups living in collective shelters differed from standard residential life at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries in the traditional commercial center of Izmir. Though collective shelters in the historic center of Izmir have been studied in the literature, their specific location on the map was not available. This study has provided locations of the shelters and evaluated the architectural characteristics of their remains. The traces and remains of the historic collective shelters should be preserved as elements contributing to the integrity of the multi layered city.

Research paper thumbnail of Historic Collective Shelter as Heritage: The Cases in Hurşidiye, Kurtuluş and Sakarya Neighborhoods in Konak, İzmir

Art-Sanat, 2021

Historical collective shelters, yahuthanes or cortejos, are an alternative form of housing that w... more Historical collective shelters, yahuthanes or cortejos, are an alternative form of housing that were developed to provide secure sheltering of the groups who were disadvantaged in terms of economic, social, and cultural aspects in the Ottoman city. They have played a significant role in history as a building type that made possible cohabitation of groups, with moral and material problems, and struggling to maintain their integrity despite hardship. This study deals with a group of historical collective shelters in the traditional commercial center of İzmir dating mainly to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The objective is to understand the historic evolution of collective shelters (yahuthane, cortejo) in Hurşidiye, Kurtuluş and Sakarya neighborhoods of Konak district in İzmir, to define their cultural values, to analyze their social and spatial development, to present their physical characteristics and evaluate their preservation problems. Eleven collective shelters were documented in the studied site, which is a portion of the traditional commercial center of İzmir (Kemeraltı). The site comprehends the ruins of the Roman Agora and the remains of the public buildings dating to the pre-modernization period of the Ottoman Empire as well as the late Ottoman urban layout. As a method, the preliminary studies were reviewed, the land registers were surveyed, the present base map together with the historical maps were overlapped and the case studies were conducted using conventional techniques of architectural and urban conservation. The study has documented the interaction of Muslim and Jewish communities and how the collective living habits of these ethnic groups living in collective shelters differed from standard residential life at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries in the traditional commercial center of İzmir. Though collective shelters in the historic center of İzmir have been studied in the literature, their specific location on the map was not available. This study has provided locations of the shelters and evaluated the architectural characteristics of their remains. The traces and remains of the historic collective shelters should be preserved as elements contributing to the integrity of the multi layered city.

Research paper thumbnail of Urban protection and renewal dilemma: İzmir Mezarlıkbaşı

Urban protection and renewal dilemma: İzmir Mezarlıkbaşı, 2021

At the beginning of the 21 st century, efforts to preserve cultural heritage in historical settle... more At the beginning of the 21 st century, efforts to preserve cultural heritage in historical settlements is a highly problematic and multi-faceted issue in Turkey. Although conservation legislation dates back to 60 years ago, heritage conservation has not been internalized and accepted in the wider part of society, and, has not established a sound political foundation. On the other, however, there is also a lack of integrated land-use planning and management. The purpose of this study is to present the difficulties of dealing with the conservation, renewal, and regeneration for heritage areas in the historic core of İzmir, Mezarlıkbaşı-Kemeraltı, as well as to discuss the intrinsic physical qualities, dynamic characters and diversity of community groups with a view of new spatial agenda. The objective of the study is therefore twofold: 1) documentation of the physical characteristics and values for understanding the place; 2) to evaluate incorporating integrated strategic planning and...

Research paper thumbnail of Urban protection and renewal dilemma: İzmir Mezarlıkbaşı Abstract

At the beginning of the 21st century, efforts to preserve cultural heritage in historical settlem... more At the beginning of the 21st century, efforts to preserve cultural heritage in historical settlements is a highly problematic and multi-faceted issue in Turkey. Although conservation legislation dates back to 60 years ago, heritage conservation has not been internalized and accepted in the wider part of society, and, has not established a sound political foundation. On the other, however, there is also a lack of integrated land-use planning and management. The purpose of this study is to present the difficulties of dealing with the conservation, renewal, and regeneration for heritage areas in the historic core of İzmir, Mezarlıkbaşı-Kemeraltı, as well as to discuss the intrinsic physical qualities, dynamic characters and diversity of community groups with a view of new spatial agenda. The objective of the study is therefore twofold: 1) documentation of the physical characteristics and values for understanding the place; 2) to evaluate incorporating integrated strategic planning and management approach pointing the need for incorporating, leadership, partnership, integration and inclusion as a policy guideline for the safeguarding the heritage area. Our findings show that the Municipality of İzmir has made a significant attempt as TARKEM’s leadership position, which has succeeded in attracting national and international interest in Kemeraltı and creating opportunities for the future, but partnership (operation), management (structure) and inclusion (its processes) still lack. Community groups are not seen as part of the planning activities and planning has been remote, fragmented and exclusively missing an integrated planning management approach.

Research paper thumbnail of Planning of rural areas in the vicinity of the metropolitan areas after the new jurisdiction, ‘complete city law’: a case from Izmir

Ecology and the Environment, May 19, 2015

At the turn of the 1980s, Turkey’s economic policy went through a radical transformation by adopt... more At the turn of the 1980s, Turkey’s economic policy went through a radical transformation by adopting new liberal economy based on exports versus the import substitution policy. During the 1980s, liberalisation and privatisation policies led to the withdrawal of the public subvention mechanism to the agricultural sector that caused rapid immigration to the urban areas and abandonment of the agricultural land. No doubt about it, rural areas in the vicinity of the metropolitan cities, are affected the most adversely as the consequence of the attempts, and encouraged the expansion and suburbanization. On the other hand the new jurisdiction on rural areas, the Law of 6360 (2012) has been the turning point in the Municipal Administrative Structure in Turkey. The law has extended the city boundaries along with the provincial areas including villages and mid-sized provincial districts found in the metropolitan areas. The law abolished all the villages’ rural status and converted them to the ordinary neighborhoods of the central metropolitan city. Within these circumstances, the objective of the study is to discuss the possible effects of the new jurisdiction on the rural areas in the planning process.

Research paper thumbnail of Sociospatial Segregation and Consumption Profile of Ankara in the Context of Globalization

"Consumption patterns, although extremely elusive, are just as important to tract as prices on th... more "Consumption patterns, although extremely elusive, are just as important to tract as prices on the stock exchange. Douglas and Isherwood (1979, 89) The ''Global City Hypothesis'' argues that the economic restructuring of the new global economy produces highly uneven and polarized employment structure in urban society (1). Today, large global cities are marked by unusually high levels of income inequality. The significant increase in foreign investment and the arrival of the multinational corporations along with the major accounting, advertising, and marketing firms and the fashion, design and entertainment industry caused changes both in spatial and demographic configuration and the internal structure of large metropolitan cities. The consequence of the economic restructuring is 'class polarization' characterized by a number of high income professionals and managerial jobs, and a vast population of low income causal, informal and temporary forms at the bottom. The effects of liberalization policies resulted in unprecedented fragmentation and polarization within the 'middle class' with the worsening public sector functionaries as some employees of the multinational firms had become wealthier (Kandiyoti, 2002, 5). This new wealth has engendered new social groups characterized as 'young professionals' or 'new job elite' with an increasingly educated cohorts of leading business with affluent lifestyles and consumption patterns similar to their global counterparts. Though such changes and processes occur to some extent in most developed world cities, the approach by the global city theorists seems to be accepted as the valid and elucidative pattern in general, and imposes a kind of generalization that in reality there are more counter evidences even in leading world cities and other metropolitan areas of the world which reveal different pattern (Maloutas, 2007, 734). The objective of the article is to measure empirically the impact of globalization on reconfiguration of the sociospatial segregation trends in Ankara during the late 1990s and beginnings of 2000s. The article examines

Research paper thumbnail of Historic Collective Shelter as Heritage: The Cases in Hurşidiye, Kurtuluş and Sakarya Neighborhoods in Konak, İzmir

Art-sanat dergisi, Aug 10, 2021

Historical collective shelters, yahuthanes or cortejos, are an alternative form of housing that w... more Historical collective shelters, yahuthanes or cortejos, are an alternative form of housing that were developed to provide secure sheltering of the groups who were disadvantaged in terms of economic, social, and cultural aspects in the Ottoman city. They have played a significant role in history as a building type that made possible cohabitation of groups, with moral and material problems, and struggling to maintain their integrity despite hardship. This study deals with a group of historical collective shelters in the traditional commercial center of İzmir dating mainly to the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries. The objective is to understand the historic evolution of collective shelters (yahuthane, cortejo) in Hurşidiye, Kurtuluş and Sakarya neighborhoods of Konak district in İzmir, to define their cultural values, to analyze their social and spatial development, to present their physical characteristics and evaluate their preservation problems. Eleven collective shelters were documented in the studied site, which is a portion of the traditional commercial center of İzmir (Kemeraltı). The site comprehends the ruins of the Roman Agora and the remains of the public buildings dating to the pre-modernization period of the Ottoman Empire as well as the late Ottoman urban layout. As a method, the preliminary studies were reviewed, the land registers were surveyed, the present base map together with the historical maps were overlapped and the case studies were conducted using conventional techniques of architectural and urban conservation. The study has documented the interaction of Muslim and Jewish communities and how the collective living habits of these ethnic groups living in collective shelters differed from standard residential life at the end of the 19 th and beginning of the 20 th centuries in the traditional commercial center of İzmir. Though collective shelters in the historic center of İzmir have been studied in the literature, their specific location on the map was not available. This study has provided locations of the shelters and evaluated the architectural characteristics of their remains. The traces and remains of the historic collective shelters should be preserved as elements contributing to the integrity of the multi layered city.

Research paper thumbnail of Urban protection and renewal dilemma: İzmir Mezarlıkbaşı Abstract

İTÜ dergisi A, 2021

At the beginning of the 21 st century, efforts to preserve cultural heritage in historical settle... more At the beginning of the 21 st century, efforts to preserve cultural heritage in historical settlements is a highly problematic and multi-faceted issue in Turkey. Although conservation legislation dates back to 60 years ago, heritage conservation has not been internalized and accepted in the wider part of society, and, has not established a sound political foundation. On the other, however, there is also a lack of integrated land-use planning and management. The purpose of this study is to present the difficulties of dealing with the conservation, renewal, and regeneration for heritage areas in the historic core of İzmir, Mezarlıkbaşı-Kemeraltı, as well as to discuss the intrinsic physical qualities, dynamic characters and diversity of community groups with a view of new spatial agenda. The objective of the study is therefore twofold: 1) documentation of the physical characteristics and values for understanding the place; 2) to evaluate incorporating integrated strategic planning and management approach pointing the need for incorporating, leadership, partnership, integration and inclusion as a policy guideline for the safeguarding the heritage area. Our findings show that the Municipality of İzmir has made a significant attempt as TARKEM's leadership position, which has succeeded in attracting national and international interest in Kemeraltı and creating opportunities for the future, but partnership (operation), management (structure) and inclusion (its processes) still lack. Community groups are not seen as part of the planning activities and planning has been remote, fragmented and exclusively missing an integrated planning management approach. Keywords Safeguarding cultural heritage, Conservation planning and legislation, A strategic management of cultural heritage, Policy guideline for management of cultural heritage.

Research paper thumbnail of Class Dimension of Housing Inequalities in the New Era of Liberalization: A Case Study in Ankara (1)

I believe that whoever owns a house in these times is wealthy. I wish I could own a house and not... more I believe that whoever owns a house in these times is wealthy. I wish I could own a house and not pay this rent. (2) The impact of global restructuring of the economy on the social geography of the city is twofold: at one extreme the pattern of stratification has changed with the emergence of new social layer of high-level professionals working in the finance sector and specialized services, at the other, there has been an increase in the informal, causal low-skilled, low-paid labour. The extreme inequality of the new era can distinguish itself with its magnitude in both social and spatial terms. The measurement of class-based inequality has been generally incorporated with income and earnings produced as a consequence of the sphere of production, i.e. labour market. The role of the household in the labour market is accepted as the main factor in determining the level of welfare and standard of living. However, in actuality, the factors that identify the income inequality cannot be limited by the sphere of production. There is common consensus that a social grouping identified by the sphere of reproduction (consumption) and exchange mechanism is needed for fully-fledge stratification and class analysis. This paper tries to show that not just income, but also the sphere of social reproduction including the housing dimension, has to be incorporated in the measurement of the deep social divide that exists between haves and have-nots. The objective here is to discuss the criterion employed in the measurement of class based segregation in urban structure. The major assertion is that not income but also housing is of utmost importance for the analysis of the class-based segregation in Ankara's urban structure. Special attention is paid to the relationship between the concepts of "social polarization", "social stratification" and socio-spatial divide in terms of material value, living conditions and ownership pattern of housing in the intermediary period of the late 1990s and the early 2000s in Ankara. This study is an attempt to fulfill a research on the untouched and insufficiently

Research paper thumbnail of Using Personal Rapid Transit as an Effective Transport Solution in Historical Downtown Areas: A Case from Historic Kemeraltı, İzmir

Journal of Planning, 2023

Many issues related to the conservation of urban heritage are closely related to the transit syst... more Many issues related to the conservation of urban heritage are closely related to the transit system and the use of private transportation. Regeneration, revitalization, and/or heritage conservation are not properly managed due to problems arising directly from inconvenient transport solutions that cannot provide or resolve the accessibility and mobility needs of vulnerable groups together with inappropriate space management while indirectly causing economic shrinkage and loss of vitality. Furthermore, even if modern modes of transportation are used, they will cause significant environmental and societal difficulties, making them unsuitable for such sensitive places. This article, using a microsimulation approach, investigates whether a Personal Rapid Transit system is physically applicable, and whether it can meet existing travel requirements to prove that it is sufficient for the needs of local level mobility, and finally whether other environmental/ social impacts such that land use, air pollution, safety, sustainability are positive or negative. As a method, these outputs of the system application are presented as validations of the usefulness of the PRT. Finally, it was found that there is a gain in productivity in terms of mobility as well as other socioeconomic benefits besides the physical applicability of the method. The study's goal is to get the information out about how PRT technology may help produce more ecologically friendly and sustainable solutions while also conserving historical assets.

Research paper thumbnail of Ankara kentinin sosyal tabakalaşması ve tüketim profili :Ankara konut alanlarında örnek çalışma

This dissertation attempts to develop a social stratification model considering its spatial dimen... more This dissertation attempts to develop a social stratification model considering its spatial dimension for the households in the city of Ankara. The spatiality of social class has rarely been in the agenda of scholars and has not been explored empirically. For this reason, the study aims to test the hypothesis that social segregation in Turkish cities is empirically measurable and manifests itself in the common patterns of behaviours and similar conditioning of existence in the urban space. The focus of attention of the thesis is based on the relationship between the material inequalities of different social strata within its territorial context. If a class becomes a social reality, this must be shown in the formation of common patterns of behaviour and attitude, and manifests itself in urban space. In short the scope of the study is a twofold: Thesis questions are: (1) how and upon what basis social groups and strata can be located in the economic and socio-cultural structure of the...

Research paper thumbnail of Transfer of Development Rights for Agricultural Land Protection in Izmir's Periphery: A Case Study in Torbalı

5th International Conference of Contemporary Affairs in Architecture and Urbanism, 2022

Turkey has been experiencing rapid urbanization and urban expansion since the 1950s. With the pro... more Turkey has been experiencing rapid urbanization and urban expansion since the 1950s. With the processes of decentralization, the city is increasingly being brought into rural areas, building pressure is increasing, agricultural production and natural resources are being destroyed, and rural areas are increasingly fitted with urban uses (shopping, tourism, leisure activities, etc.). Rural areas in close proximity to urban areas are more vulnerable to development pressures and are at risk of being abolished or abandoned. On the other hand, with the enactment of the new regulations Transfer of Development Rights is entered Turkish Planning System as a new and innovative solutions. However, there has been any available application of the TDR yet. The study's objective is to assess the TDR's effectiveness as a tool for protecting agricultural land on the periphery of Izmir's large metropolitan area. Izmir's Torbalı district was chosen as a case study regarding intensive agricultural activity. A bundle of techniques is used including a large survey analysis of the area. A hypothetical mathematical model was applied for assessing and transferring the market-base value for the agricultural land.

Research paper thumbnail of Urban protection and renewal dilemma: İzmir Mezarlıkbaşı Abstract

A/Z : ITU journal of Faculty of Architecture, 2021

At the beginning of the 21 st century, efforts to preserve cultural heritage in historical settle... more At the beginning of the 21 st century, efforts to preserve cultural heritage in historical settlements is a highly problematic and multi-faceted issue in Turkey. Although conservation legislation dates back to 60 years ago, heritage conservation has not been internalized and accepted in the wider part of society, and, has not established a sound political foundation. On the other, however, there is also a lack of integrated land-use planning and management. The purpose of this study is to present the difficulties of dealing with the conservation, renewal, and regeneration for heritage areas in the historic core of İzmir, Mezarlıkbaşı-Kemeraltı, as well as to discuss the intrinsic physical qualities, dynamic characters and diversity of community groups with a view of new spatial agenda. The objective of the study is therefore twofold: 1) documentation of the physical characteristics and values for understanding the place; 2) to evaluate incorporating integrated strategic planning and management approach pointing the need for incorporating, leadership, partnership, integration and inclusion as a policy guideline for the safeguarding the heritage area. Our findings show that the Municipality of İzmir has made a significant attempt as TARKEM's leadership position, which has succeeded in attracting national and international interest in Kemeraltı and creating opportunities for the future, but partnership (operation), management (structure) and inclusion (its processes) still lack. Community groups are not seen as part of the planning activities and planning has been remote, fragmented and exclusively missing an integrated planning management approach. Keywords Safeguarding cultural heritage, Conservation planning and legislation, A strategic management of cultural heritage, Policy guideline for management of cultural heritage.

Research paper thumbnail of Planning of rural areas in the vicinity of the metropolitan areas after the new jurisdiction, ‘complete city law’: a case from Izmir

Sustainable Development and Planning VII, 2015

At the turn of the 1980s, Turkey’s economic policy went through a radical transformation by adopt... more At the turn of the 1980s, Turkey’s economic policy went through a radical transformation by adopting new liberal economy based on exports versus the import substitution policy. During the 1980s, liberalisation and privatisation policies led to the withdrawal of the public subvention mechanism to the agricultural sector that caused rapid immigration to the urban areas and abandonment of the agricultural land. No doubt about it, rural areas in the vicinity of the metropolitan cities, are affected the most adversely as the consequence of the attempts, and encouraged the expansion and suburbanization. On the other hand the new jurisdiction on rural areas, the Law of 6360 (2012) has been the turning point in the Municipal Administrative Structure in Turkey. The law has extended the city boundaries along with the provincial areas including villages and mid-sized provincial districts found in the metropolitan areas. The law abolished all the villages’ rural status and converted them to the ordinary neighborhoods of the central metropolitan city. Within these circumstances, the objective of the study is to discuss the possible effects of the new jurisdiction on the rural areas in the planning process.

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluation of the conservation activities in the historical settlement Tenedos-Bozcaada Island

Sustainable Development and Planning V, 2011

The efforts for the conservation of cultural heritage in historical settlements are a highly prob... more The efforts for the conservation of cultural heritage in historical settlements are a highly problematic and multi-faceted issue in Turkey. Although the conservation legislation dates back 50 years, the cultural heritage has not been internalized and not accepted in wider parts of the society and, has not found a solid political base. The historical and cultural heritage areas are mostly marketed for tourism and turned into places as the simulacrum of the elitist and middle class tastes. Tenedos (Bozcaada) Island inherits the rich cultural heritage of two millennia.The Island is in danger of losing its social, cultural and multi-ethnical characteristic where Turkish and Greek societies live harmoniously. The architectural, economic and ecological values are also in danger because of the rise of touristic activities and the construction of vacation homes as well as the State's withdrawal to provide subsidy to the agricultural sector that took place after the 1980s in parallel with the general economic policies adopting global economic restructuring. The objective of the paper is to highlight the multidimensional character of the social and spatial process which is enmeshed in the conservation activities of the Island. The values and norms, social, economic considerations in the conservation activities need a new approach and, without existence of a common will and a wider participation of the society it is hard to expect any success in the conservation of the rich cultural values, and to assess, develop and carry them into the future. A bundle of techniques are used: a large survey analysis of the area is realized and its social, historical and physical characteristics are documented. Questionnaires, in-depth interviews are used in order to detect the difficulties for conservation of the heritage in part of the responsible public bodies. The public and tourism sector opinions, thoughts and aspirations are surveyed. Even though,

Research paper thumbnail of Sociospatial and Consumption Profile of Ankara in the Context of Globalisation

Middle East Technical University Journal of the Faculty …

... Search result page. Title: SOCIOSPATIAL AND CONSUMPTION PROFILE OF ANKARA IN THE CONTEXT OF G... more ... Search result page. Title: SOCIOSPATIAL AND CONSUMPTION PROFILE OF ANKARA IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBALISATION. Author: Figen AKPINAR. Abstract: Journal: Middle East Technical University Journal of the Faculty of Architecture. Issn: 02585316. EIssn: Year: 2009. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Sociospatial Segregation and Consumption Profile of Ankara in the Context of Globalization

METU JFA, 2009

Economic restructuration implies increasingly dual and unequal employment structure and causes em... more Economic restructuration implies increasingly dual and unequal employment structure and causes emergence of unfragmented, uneven sociospatial structure, especially in the advanced capitalist countries (Sassen, 1991). Heavily emphasized that this process is not ...

Research paper thumbnail of Class Dimension of Housing Inequalities in the New Era of Liberalization: A Case Study in Ankara (1)

METU JFA, 2008

1. This study compiles a series of empirical stratification studies applied to Ankara at the end ... more 1. This study compiles a series of empirical stratification studies applied to Ankara at the end of twentieth century and at the beginning of the twenty-first century. In the Ph. D. thesis, I had discussed the socio-spatial segregation of Ankara by employing a wide range of spatial ...

Research paper thumbnail of Historic Collective Shelter as Heritage: The Cases in Hurşidiye, Kurtuluş and Sakarya Neighborhoods in Konak, İzmir

Art-Sanat, 2021

Historical collective shelters, yahuthanes or cortejos, are an alternative form of housing that w... more Historical collective shelters, yahuthanes or cortejos, are an alternative form of housing that were developed to provide secure sheltering of the groups who were disadvantaged in terms of economic, social, and cultural aspects in the Ottoman city. They have played a significant role in history as a building type that made possible cohabitation of groups, with moral and material problems, and struggling to maintain their integrity despite hardship. This study deals with a group of historical collective shelters in the traditional commercial center of İzmir dating mainly to the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries. The objective is to understand the historic evolution of collective shelters (yahuthane, cortejo) in Hurşidiye, Kurtuluş and Sakarya neighborhoods of Konak district in İzmir, to define their cultural values, to analyze their social and spatial development, to present their physical characteristics and evaluate their preservation problems. Eleven collective shelters were documented in the studied site, which is a portion of the traditional commercial center of İzmir (Kemeraltı). The site comprehends the ruins of the Roman Agora and the remains of the public buildings dating to the pre-modernization period of the Ottoman Empire as well as the late Ottoman urban layout. As a method, the preliminary studies were reviewed, the land registers were surveyed, the present base map together with the historical maps were overlapped and the case studies were conducted using conventional techniques of architectural and urban conservation. The study has documented the interaction of Muslim and Jewish communities and how the collective living habits of these ethnic groups living in collective shelters differed from standard residential life at the end of the 19 th and beginning of the 20 th centuries in the traditional commercial center of İzmir. Though collective shelters in the historic center of İzmir have been studied in the literature, their specific location on the map was not available. This study has provided locations of the shelters and evaluated the architectural characteristics of their remains. The traces and remains of the historic collective shelters should be preserved as elements contributing to the integrity of the multi layered city.

Research paper thumbnail of Contribution of the Personal Rapid Transit PRT Systems to the Road Safety a Scenario Based Comparative Evaluation

Hong Kong Society for Transportation Studies, 2012

Though the number of "real ground" PRT projects are few, it can be possible to ... more Though the number of "real ground" PRT projects are few, it can be possible to deduce some hypothetical safety conclusions. For the very optimist assumption that the control algorithms will only "allow" them to operate in non-collision mode on the network, the safety figures are re-evaluated for two urban settings: First (1) is the case where the urban design was fully recreated based on PRT system, as in the Masdar City, in which no other transport mode is allowed. The other (2) is the hypothetical PRT system would be embedded into the existing transportation system. The two cases of the safety measures and cost figures are compared and evaluated to evaluate the opportunities and pitfalls by the application of a PRT system via the scenario analysis. By doing so, after description of the present situation, there comes the construction of possible alternative futures to compare with the present one. It can be deduced that, even if the safety figures of PRT system are hypothetical, PRT-based urban environments promise a lot in terms of safety levels (as far as 80 per cent) with, however, the expense of financial burden for the local government. Yet, for low-cost solution, PRT-embedded urban environments also provide promising results compared to "doing nothing" as far as 30 per cent reductions, in accidents in total and 44 per cent in deaths.

Research paper thumbnail of Historic Collective Shelter as Heritage: The Cases in Hurşidiye, Kurtuluş and Sakarya Neighborhoods in Konak, Izmir Miras olarak Tarihî Toplu Barınaklar: Izmir, Konak'taki Hurşidiye, Kurtuluş ve Sakarya Mahallerindeki Örnekler

Historical collective shelters, yahuthanes or cortejos, are an alternative form of housing that w... more Historical collective shelters, yahuthanes or cortejos, are an alternative form of housing that were developed to provide secure sheltering of the groups who were disadvantaged in terms of economic, social, and cultural aspects in the Ottoman city. They have played a significant role in history as a building type that made possible cohabitation of groups, with moral and material problems, and struggling to maintain their integrity despite hardship. This study deals with a group of historical collective shelters in the traditional commercial center of Izmir dating mainly to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The objective is to understand the historic evolution of collective shelters (yahuthane, cortejo) in Hursidiye, Kurtulus and Sakarya neighborhoods of Konak district in Izmir, to define their cultural values, to analyze their social and spatial development, to present their physical characteristics and evaluate their preservation problems. Eleven collective shelters were documented in the studied site, which is a portion of the traditional commercial center of Izmir (Kemeralti). The site comprehends the ruins of the Roman Agora and the remains of the public buildings dating to the pre-modernization period of the Ottoman Empire as well as the late Ottoman urban layout. As a method, the preliminary studies were reviewed, the land registers were surveyed, the present base map together with the historical maps were overlapped and the case studies were conducted using conventional techniques of architectural and urban conservation. The study has documented the interaction of Muslim and Jewish communities and how the collective living habits of these ethnic groups living in collective shelters differed from standard residential life at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries in the traditional commercial center of Izmir. Though collective shelters in the historic center of Izmir have been studied in the literature, their specific location on the map was not available. This study has provided locations of the shelters and evaluated the architectural characteristics of their remains. The traces and remains of the historic collective shelters should be preserved as elements contributing to the integrity of the multi layered city.

Research paper thumbnail of Historic Collective Shelter as Heritage: The Cases in Hurşidiye, Kurtuluş and Sakarya Neighborhoods in Konak, İzmir

Art-Sanat, 2021

Historical collective shelters, yahuthanes or cortejos, are an alternative form of housing that w... more Historical collective shelters, yahuthanes or cortejos, are an alternative form of housing that were developed to provide secure sheltering of the groups who were disadvantaged in terms of economic, social, and cultural aspects in the Ottoman city. They have played a significant role in history as a building type that made possible cohabitation of groups, with moral and material problems, and struggling to maintain their integrity despite hardship. This study deals with a group of historical collective shelters in the traditional commercial center of İzmir dating mainly to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The objective is to understand the historic evolution of collective shelters (yahuthane, cortejo) in Hurşidiye, Kurtuluş and Sakarya neighborhoods of Konak district in İzmir, to define their cultural values, to analyze their social and spatial development, to present their physical characteristics and evaluate their preservation problems. Eleven collective shelters were documented in the studied site, which is a portion of the traditional commercial center of İzmir (Kemeraltı). The site comprehends the ruins of the Roman Agora and the remains of the public buildings dating to the pre-modernization period of the Ottoman Empire as well as the late Ottoman urban layout. As a method, the preliminary studies were reviewed, the land registers were surveyed, the present base map together with the historical maps were overlapped and the case studies were conducted using conventional techniques of architectural and urban conservation. The study has documented the interaction of Muslim and Jewish communities and how the collective living habits of these ethnic groups living in collective shelters differed from standard residential life at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries in the traditional commercial center of İzmir. Though collective shelters in the historic center of İzmir have been studied in the literature, their specific location on the map was not available. This study has provided locations of the shelters and evaluated the architectural characteristics of their remains. The traces and remains of the historic collective shelters should be preserved as elements contributing to the integrity of the multi layered city.

Research paper thumbnail of Urban protection and renewal dilemma: İzmir Mezarlıkbaşı

Urban protection and renewal dilemma: İzmir Mezarlıkbaşı, 2021

At the beginning of the 21 st century, efforts to preserve cultural heritage in historical settle... more At the beginning of the 21 st century, efforts to preserve cultural heritage in historical settlements is a highly problematic and multi-faceted issue in Turkey. Although conservation legislation dates back to 60 years ago, heritage conservation has not been internalized and accepted in the wider part of society, and, has not established a sound political foundation. On the other, however, there is also a lack of integrated land-use planning and management. The purpose of this study is to present the difficulties of dealing with the conservation, renewal, and regeneration for heritage areas in the historic core of İzmir, Mezarlıkbaşı-Kemeraltı, as well as to discuss the intrinsic physical qualities, dynamic characters and diversity of community groups with a view of new spatial agenda. The objective of the study is therefore twofold: 1) documentation of the physical characteristics and values for understanding the place; 2) to evaluate incorporating integrated strategic planning and...

Research paper thumbnail of Urban protection and renewal dilemma: İzmir Mezarlıkbaşı Abstract

At the beginning of the 21st century, efforts to preserve cultural heritage in historical settlem... more At the beginning of the 21st century, efforts to preserve cultural heritage in historical settlements is a highly problematic and multi-faceted issue in Turkey. Although conservation legislation dates back to 60 years ago, heritage conservation has not been internalized and accepted in the wider part of society, and, has not established a sound political foundation. On the other, however, there is also a lack of integrated land-use planning and management. The purpose of this study is to present the difficulties of dealing with the conservation, renewal, and regeneration for heritage areas in the historic core of İzmir, Mezarlıkbaşı-Kemeraltı, as well as to discuss the intrinsic physical qualities, dynamic characters and diversity of community groups with a view of new spatial agenda. The objective of the study is therefore twofold: 1) documentation of the physical characteristics and values for understanding the place; 2) to evaluate incorporating integrated strategic planning and management approach pointing the need for incorporating, leadership, partnership, integration and inclusion as a policy guideline for the safeguarding the heritage area. Our findings show that the Municipality of İzmir has made a significant attempt as TARKEM’s leadership position, which has succeeded in attracting national and international interest in Kemeraltı and creating opportunities for the future, but partnership (operation), management (structure) and inclusion (its processes) still lack. Community groups are not seen as part of the planning activities and planning has been remote, fragmented and exclusively missing an integrated planning management approach.

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluation of the conservation activities in the historical settlement Tenedos-Bozcaada Island

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING V, 2011

The efforts for the conservation of cultural heritage in historical settlements are a highly prob... more The efforts for the conservation of cultural heritage in historical settlements are a highly problematic and multi-faceted issue in Turkey. Although the conservation legislation dates back 50 years, the cultural heritage has not been internalized and not accepted in wider parts of the society and, has not found a solid political base. The historical and cultural heritage areas are mostly marketed for tourism and turned into places as the simulacrum of the elitist and middle class tastes. Tenedos (Bozcaada) Island inherits the rich cultural heritage of two millennia.The Island is in danger of losing its social, cultural and multi-ethnical characteristic where Turkish and Greek societies live harmoniously. The architectural, economic and ecological values are also in danger because of the rise of touristic activities and the construction of vacation homes as well as the State's withdrawal to provide subsidy to the agricultural sector that took place after the 1980s in parallel with the general economic policies adopting global economic restructuring. The objective of the paper is to highlight the multi-dimensional character of the social and spatial process which is enmeshed in the conservation activities of the Island. The values and norms, social, economic considerations in the conservation activities need a new approach and, without existence of a common will and a wider participation of the society it is hard to expect any success in the conservation of the rich cultural values, and to assess, develop and carry them into the future. A bundle of techniques are used: a large survey analysis of the area is realized and its social, historical and physical characteristics are documented. Questionnaires, in-depth interviews are used in order to detect the difficulties for conservation of the heritage in part of the responsible public bodies. The public and tourism sector opinions, thoughts and aspirations are surveyed. Even though, Sustainable Development and Planning V 329 the preservation of Tenedos Island's cultural heritage appears to be a difficult challenge, there seems to be some positive clues for the future.

Research paper thumbnail of Transfer of Development Rights for Agricultural Land Protection in Izmir's Periphery: A Case Study in Torbalı

Transfer of Development Rights for Agricultural Land Protection in Izmir's Periphery: A Case Study in Torbalı, 2022

Turkey has been experiencing rapid urbanization and urban expansion since the 1950s. With the pro... more Turkey has been experiencing rapid urbanization and urban expansion since the 1950s. With the processes of decentralization, the city is increasingly being brought into rural areas, building pressure is increasing, agricultural production and natural resources are being destroyed, and rural areas are increasingly fitted with urban uses (shopping, tourism, leisure activities, etc.). Rural areas in close proximity to urban areas are more vulnerable to development pressures and are at risk of being abolished or abandoned. On the other hand, with the enactment of the new regulations Transfer of Development Rights is entered Turkish Planning System as a new and innovative solutions. However, there has been any available application of the TDR yet. The study's objective is to assess the TDR's effectiveness as a tool for protecting agricultural land on the periphery of Izmir's large metropolitan area. Izmir's Torbalı district was chosen as a case study regarding intensive agricultural activity. A bundle of techniques is used including a large survey analysis of the area. A hypothetical mathematical model was applied for assessing and transferring the market-base value for the agricultural land.