**5. Analysis of the immigrant housing patterns in Bursa**

Bursa, as an important industrial city in Turkey, is expanding very rapidly like other big cities in developing countries. Most of the development is in the form of urban sprawl at the fringe of the urban areas. This urban sprawl has led to many environmental and transportation problems and the loss of valuable agricultural land. On the other hand, the squatter settlements around the historic city core, especially the ones ascending Mount Uludağ, in the south of the historic city walls, threaten both the unique identity of the city and natural characteristics of the mountain.

Being circumscribed by Mount Uludağ to the south and fertile agricultural land to the north, Bursa has a linear macroform and is sprawling out in east-west direction. Until 1980s, urban development of the city in physical and spatial context had been mostly to the east. After 1980s, establishment of new industrial zones in the west of the city eventuated in the beginning of a new urban housing development to the west of the city. In figure 9, urban development of Bursa by periods of time is seen. In the figure, the red color represents the urban sprawl until 1958, the green represents the urban sprawl between the years 1958-1976, the yellow represents the urban sprawl between the years 1976-1982, blue represents the urban sprawl between the years 1982-1990, purple represents the urban sprawl between the years 1990-1995.

Fig. 9. Urban development of Bursa by certain periods of time (Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Archieves)

Between 1945 and 1960, planned development of industry caused a fundamental increase on the population of the city with internal migration. Mutman (2003), mentions about two important cases which occured during this process. One of them is the development of a gridal settlement area composed of one- or two-storey houses which provide a low standard of living in the northwest of the city. These houses were built to accommodate the immigrants from Balkanic countries. The other is the removal of the factories founded near

Bursa, as an important industrial city in Turkey, is expanding very rapidly like other big cities in developing countries. Most of the development is in the form of urban sprawl at the fringe of the urban areas. This urban sprawl has led to many environmental and transportation problems and the loss of valuable agricultural land. On the other hand, the squatter settlements around the historic city core, especially the ones ascending Mount Uludağ, in the south of the historic city walls, threaten both the unique identity of the city

Being circumscribed by Mount Uludağ to the south and fertile agricultural land to the north, Bursa has a linear macroform and is sprawling out in east-west direction. Until 1980s, urban development of the city in physical and spatial context had been mostly to the east. After 1980s, establishment of new industrial zones in the west of the city eventuated in the beginning of a new urban housing development to the west of the city. In figure 9, urban development of Bursa by periods of time is seen. In the figure, the red color represents the urban sprawl until 1958, the green represents the urban sprawl between the years 1958-1976, the yellow represents the urban sprawl between the years 1976-1982, blue represents the urban sprawl between the years 1982-1990, purple represents the urban sprawl between the

Fig. 9. Urban development of Bursa by certain periods of time (Bursa Metropolitan

Between 1945 and 1960, planned development of industry caused a fundamental increase on the population of the city with internal migration. Mutman (2003), mentions about two important cases which occured during this process. One of them is the development of a gridal settlement area composed of one- or two-storey houses which provide a low standard of living in the northwest of the city. These houses were built to accommodate the immigrants from Balkanic countries. The other is the removal of the factories founded near

**5. Analysis of the immigrant housing patterns in Bursa** 

and natural characteristics of the mountain.

years 1990-1995.

Municipality Archieves)

the city centre to the north side of the city. This radical decision brought about development of new settlement areas around these factories in the periphery of the city.

Types of immigrant housing in Bursa can be classified in four groups, which can be defined as follows;


Fig. 10. Examples of gridlined pattern (adapted from google earth)

Fig. 11. Examples of company dwellings (adapted from google earth)

Fig. 12. Examples of gecekondu settlements (adapted from google earth)

The Impact of Different Urban Housing Patterns on the

analyses are explained in the following sub-sections.

(Fig. 16).

**5.1 Immigrant housing around the historic city center** 

Fig. 15. A house between the historic city walls (A.I.Çahantimur archive)

Sustainable Urban Development of a Historic City, Bursa/Turkey 195

of the immigrant housing patterns both around the historic city center and periphery of the city is necessary in order to compare their effects on sustainable development of Bursa and to offer some strategies on the basis of these comparisions. Data collection techniques such as the use of the archives, personal and group observations, interviews, and identification of physical characteristics constitute the data collection methodology. The spatial data obtained from immigrant housing patterns in two different areas will be evaluated together with social and cultural data by means of "objective analysis of physical environment" and "normative analysis" . A conclusion will be drawn with the help of a comparision between the effects of different immigrant housing patterns in the context of the physical requirements of sustainable urban development, as have been mentioned in section 2. The

The first settlement area of Bursa was established inside the historic city castle and then outspread to the areas around the castle, as it was mentioned in section 4.1. The concept of "külliye" which means a living complex including a "han", which is composed of a number of small accomodation units for people and their animals that were used for transportation, a "medrese" which means school, a "hamam" which means public bath, an "aşevi" which means soup kitchen and a mosque is the main characteristic of Ottoman urbanization strategy. As being the first capital city of the Ottoman Empire, Bursa still has many of these living complexes named as "külliye" and traditional neighbourhoods around them. Today the most conserved parts of the city are the neighbourhoods inside the historic city walls and the neighbourhoods around four important "külliyes". However, as a consequence of the urbanization process most of these neighbourhoods has lost their original residents and now they're hosting the low and middle income immigrants who came from the other regions of Turkey. Evenmore, new immigrant houses constructed illegally by the migrants began to mushroom around these traditional neighbourhoods. Especially in the south of the city, there are many immigrant neighbourhoods between historic city walls and the Mount Uludağ (Fig.15). In these neighbourhoods where the topography is made up of steep slopes, houses are mostly put over each other resembling a slow climb up to the Mount Uludağ

Fig. 13. Examples of social housing blocks (adapted from google earth)

Due to the rapid urbanization process, some legal arrangements accelerated the enlargement of the city borders. In this way, houses in the first two groups are now being located inside the legal borders of the city. But unfortunately, houses in the third group keep on spreading to the fringes of the city in an uncontrolled way. On the other hand, although having been developed as an alternative to the squatter settlements by collaboration of the state and the local government, social housing blocks in the fourth group have negative impact on the silhouette of the city with their massive appearences. In figure 14, types of urban housing patterns in Bursa can be seen, where the color blue represents traditional houses, yellow represents cooperative houses, red represents apartment blocks adjacent to each other, green represents the other apartment blocks.

Fig. 14. Different Types of Urban Housing Areas in Bursa (Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Archieves)

In this study, immigrant housing patterns defined in the third and fourth groups, which cause many difficulties in achieving sustainable urban development by giving rise to dispersion of the city, are examined. Squatter (gecekondu) settlements and social housing areas are taken into consideration in two different groups according to their location in the city macroform. As well as being an important historic city, Bursa has had the characteristics of a metropolitan area for a long time. In the light of this fact, it is thought that the analysis

Due to the rapid urbanization process, some legal arrangements accelerated the enlargement of the city borders. In this way, houses in the first two groups are now being located inside the legal borders of the city. But unfortunately, houses in the third group keep on spreading to the fringes of the city in an uncontrolled way. On the other hand, although having been developed as an alternative to the squatter settlements by collaboration of the state and the local government, social housing blocks in the fourth group have negative impact on the silhouette of the city with their massive appearences. In figure 14, types of urban housing patterns in Bursa can be seen, where the color blue represents traditional houses, yellow represents cooperative houses, red represents apartment blocks adjacent to each other, green

Fig. 13. Examples of social housing blocks (adapted from google earth)

Fig. 14. Different Types of Urban Housing Areas in Bursa (Bursa Metropolitan

In this study, immigrant housing patterns defined in the third and fourth groups, which cause many difficulties in achieving sustainable urban development by giving rise to dispersion of the city, are examined. Squatter (gecekondu) settlements and social housing areas are taken into consideration in two different groups according to their location in the city macroform. As well as being an important historic city, Bursa has had the characteristics of a metropolitan area for a long time. In the light of this fact, it is thought that the analysis

represents the other apartment blocks.

Municipality Archieves)

of the immigrant housing patterns both around the historic city center and periphery of the city is necessary in order to compare their effects on sustainable development of Bursa and to offer some strategies on the basis of these comparisions. Data collection techniques such as the use of the archives, personal and group observations, interviews, and identification of physical characteristics constitute the data collection methodology. The spatial data obtained from immigrant housing patterns in two different areas will be evaluated together with social and cultural data by means of "objective analysis of physical environment" and "normative analysis" . A conclusion will be drawn with the help of a comparision between the effects of different immigrant housing patterns in the context of the physical requirements of sustainable urban development, as have been mentioned in section 2. The analyses are explained in the following sub-sections.
