Assessing the Urban Design Quality of Turkish Cities

*Umut Doğan*

### **Abstract**

The common characteristic of qualified urban spaces is that they offer an environment enriched with livability criteria, protecting and maintaining the elements of identity and offering flexibility and diversity compatible with the current conditions. Nowadays, the first condition of creating such qualified/successful urban spaces is to reflect the "urban design" processes on the urban spaces. Therefore, the present study aims to discuss the "urban design" quality (the level of success) of the Turkish cities shaped within the scope of urban plans. This discussion was performed using the urban design criteria determining and assessing the actors, which play an effective and relevant role in urban design and planning processes. The fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method was used. By making use of the results of the present study, the conditions influencing the urban design aspect were re-discussed via current state analysis, and the foundation for a general assessment about the urban design quality of Turkish cities was established.

**Keywords:** urban design, urban design actors, fuzzy logic, multi-criteria decision-making

#### **1. Introduction**

Urban design is the only multidimensional and multidisciplinary approach aiming to establish functional, esthetic, and safe urban public spaces for the societies. It is one of the planning strategies such as spatial planning, strategic planning, cultural planning, regional development, and economic strategies. Rather than replacing the other planning approaches and implementations, it can be seen to move together with them and consider the subjects from the third dimension [1]. It can be stated that the planning decisions must incorporate the "design" aspect because of this step, in which the spatial theme of the planning decisions at the upper scale comes to the forefront [2]. From this aspect, the design aspect has been defined as making 3D designs or design policies at the local and city scale when putting the planning decisions into practice [3, 4]. Hence, it is necessary to focus on the urban design criteria in order to discuss the quality of urban space. The criterion here refers to the criteria determining the success of the design reflecting on the urban space. The main condition for constructing livable and sustainable urban spaces is for the urban design processes to play an active role in planning processes. The main subjects of urban design are to revive social and economic life, using natural sources, esthetic sensitivity, and the pleasure derived from the space. Qualified urban design implementations might contribute to creating livable places with a rich and different character. The integration of urban design and urban planning is very important from this aspect. Considering the case of Turkey, there are very important problems in this integration. The main starting point of this study is to discuss the formation of urban space, which is caused by these problems, in terms of specific criteria.

The main objective in the present study is to evaluate the "urban design" quality (the level of success) of the Turkish cities which have been shaped within the scope of urban plans since the proclamation of the republic, over the relevant and effective actors playing a role in the urban design and planning processes. This assessment was performed using a fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method incorporating the processes emphasized in the flowchart (**Figure 1**). The results of the present study allow a general discussion about the urban design quality of Turkish cities. The insufficient and negative conditions influencing the

urban design aspect were re-discussed over the current state analysis, and

• The regulations needed for achieving this target, which refer to the

The planning can be described as the process of preparing systematic action plans in order to achieve the desired goals. The plan is defined over two components

In planning, which refers to systematically implementing the theoretical knowledge, it is necessary to determine both the target of the plan and the ways to follow in order to achieve the target. Within its widest meaning, the planning has three

infrastructure to guide all the relevant actors was established.

• The target to be achieved, which refers to the project.

• It should be made for achieving specific targets/objectives.

The planning is to systematically implement theoretical knowledge. It is a process extending from the current time to the future. The main sub-processes are as follows: preparing the research, planning, implementing, monitoring, and

physical development of the cities by considering the social and economic

would be very useful to discuss the concept of planning.

sources in the habitat are considered within the scope of planning.

Urban planning is defined as a science, art, and discipline aiming to shape the

necessities. Besides that, it is also considered to be a way of directing the change of

The construction and design of the urban built environment are performed with a systematic approach in countries having a national planning system. The urban design should be a part of this system. The core of the planning system is the urban plans prepared at specific levels. Accordingly, the urban plans offer a framework for directing all the construction activities in the cities. The success of the framework offered by these plans depends on their relationship with the urban design in terms of the spatial dimension of the plans. The position of urban design in the planning system of Turkey is controversial. Urban design could not be positioned in Turkey's planning system in the form specified in the literature, being nothing but a technical implementation carried out because of the legal obligations. For this reason, it

Urban design is a comprehensive and multidimensional concept. In general, it reveals the ways of creating ideas and putting them into practice. All the long-run social, economic, administrative, and spatial change factors related to the use of

In urban science, planning is discussed at four levels: the city, the environmental, the regional, and the national. As for the topic of urban spaces, it can be defined as the process of determining the land use, transportation, and physical structure within a mutual interaction with the social relationship, including the investigation

**2. Urban design in the Turkish planning system**

*Assessing the Urban Design Quality of Turkish Cities DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.89779*

constituting it. These components are:

• It should be a design for the future.

• It should be a systematic action series.

instruments.

characteristics:

assessing [5, 6].

urban areas [7].

**329**

#### **Figure 1.** *Methodological diagram of the study.*

a rich and different character. The integration of urban design and urban planning is very important from this aspect. Considering the case of Turkey, there are very important problems in this integration. The main starting point of this study is to discuss the formation of urban space, which is caused by these problems, in terms

The main objective in the present study is to evaluate the "urban design" quality (the level of success) of the Turkish cities which have been shaped within the scope of urban plans since the proclamation of the republic, over the relevant and effective actors playing a role in the urban design and planning processes. This assessment was performed using a fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method incorporating the processes emphasized in the flowchart (**Figure 1**). The results of the present study allow a general discussion about the urban design quality of Turkish cities. The insufficient and negative conditions influencing the

of specific criteria.

*Sustainability in Urban Planning and Design*

**Figure 1.**

**328**

*Methodological diagram of the study.*

urban design aspect were re-discussed over the current state analysis, and infrastructure to guide all the relevant actors was established.
