Inversion of urban transformation approach in Turkey into family-friendly transformation

Abstract

The factors of economic value increases, quantitative dimension of physical requirements, organization and legal structuring come to the forefront in the transformations in which cities are restructured by TOKI with government support in Turkey. Although the stated ultimate aim of these transformation projects is the social rehabilitation of residences, the implementations developed have failed to take into consideration the social life of the people, and moreover, because these implementations have also not been mindful of the quality of the living environments to which individuals are accustomed, the neighborhood culture is lost, the sense of belonging to social and physical environment disappears, and individuals are unable to adapt to the new living environments. In this context, this study evaluates the transformation approach from the family-friendly perspective that is compatible with the social structure and the lifestyle based on the neighborhood culture in Turkey. For this purpose, family-friendly settlements are conceptually examined; relevant results of the case study conducted on the socio-spatial effects, which have been reversed in the transformations implemented in line with the current policies, are discussed. The study results suggest that the lifestyle facilitated through a pre-transformation horizontal physical space organization that was close to city center could not be transferred to the post-transformation vertical settlements in the periphery, the social network is lost, the sense of insecurity spread, accessibility, affordability and suitability for raising children declined and so the transformations destroyed the former family-friendly neighborhood structure. In conclusion, recommendations were developed to rework the structures in the family-friendly transformations that are resident-and-family-oriented, appropriate to residents' lifestyles and capable of being socially and physically integrated within the city.