Improvement of Atatürk Street İn Antalya as a problem of spatial continuity


Thesis Type: Postgraduate

Institution Of The Thesis: Middle East Technical University, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Architecture, Turkey

Approval Date: 2006

Thesis Language: English

Student: Oya Saydam

Supervisor: VACİT İMAMOĞLU

Abstract:

The city is a fundamental and universal human creation. It is a unique centre for social life as well as individual and collective fulfillment. However, cities have been shaped and reshaped by mere functionalistic, stylistic and materialistic aspects rather than developmental ones that incorporate social, cultural and environmental variables. The frantic, irreversible urban growth that societies throughout the world have experienced over the past few decades has caused a transformation of urban spaces and agglomerations, which rarely corresponds to expectations, and aspirations. Especially public spaces have played a key role within this transformation of the cities. In this context, conserving local public places, as a reminder of the past and an echo of the spirit of culture, is a matter of a great concern to reinstating identity and character. The thesis supports this argument by the case study of Atatürk Street in Antalya, which suffers from disintegration and confusion because of haphazard growth, dense building, visual pollution, and degradation of the physical environment qualities. The thesis provides a detailed account of the project from initiation through problem identification, development of conceptual framework, and finally planning and architectural proposal. The case study highlights the need for a sensitive developmental approach, which harmonises the interactions between pedestrians, traffic and street furniture as well as cultural, physical environment and technical considerations. Within the scope of these criteria, the main objective of this thesis is to bring forth a project for designing new urban design components in historic context through the interpretation of objects of historical heritage and the existing qualities. Considering the critical problems affecting physical environment and causing imbalance in the lives of inhabitants in the