Urban conservation as an ownership problematic: Zeyrek - İstanbul

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2010
Zengin, Utku Serkan
The aim of this study is to investigate the relation between the ownership issues and the conservation of historical housing areas, which is still an ongoing problem in Turkey. The study was carried out with respect to the local and international conservation approaches, as well as three urban conservation experiments from Turkey and Italy. Istanbul - Zeyrek World Heritage Area was taken as a case study to understand further on the issue. Approaches of international authorities on urban conservation such as UNESCO and European Council, and existing conservation legislation in Turkey were studied in relation with the concept of ownership and integration of property owners into the conservation process. Besides, recent changes in Turkish conservation legislation were studied and criticized from the same perspective. Three urban conservation experiences, “Renovation of the Historic Center of the City of Bologna” from Italy, “Rehabilitation of Fener and Balat Districts Programme” and “TarlabaŞı Urban Renewal Project” from Istanbul Turkey were also studied within the frame of this study. These practices supplied information about how property owners’ integration into the process effects conservation of urban environments, from three different perspectives. Zeyrek World Heritage Area is a conservation area with monumental buildings from Byzantine Period and timber houses from Ottoman Period. Although many conservation plans concerning the area has been prepared, historical building stock of the area is in danger. Conservation problems and opportunities of the area were investigated by analysis and social and economic research in the area. At the end of the study, with reference to the experiences discussed, it was emphasized that Zeyrek World Heritage Area could be conserved, with an approach considering property owners within existing social and economic conditions of Zeyrek and current conservation legislation.

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Citation Formats
U. S. Zengin, “Urban conservation as an ownership problematic: Zeyrek - İstanbul ,” M.S. - Master of Science, Middle East Technical University, 2010.