Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
10. Urban Studies Congress, Urban Development Processes, Challenges and Solutions, Skopje, Makedonya, 22 - 24 Ekim 2025, ss.5, (Tam Metin Bildiri)
The valleys in Ankara, which have the potential to preserve the continuity of open green spaces, are currently facing threats of rapid urbanization, and looming risk of construction influenced by rent-driven urban policies. While these valleys serve as ecological interfaces for the city and contribute to environmental resilience, as a result of the urban development pressures they become susceptible to contested urbanization. The Büyükesat Valley stands out as one of these contested areas due to recent development projects which enable high-rise construction at the base and slopes of the valley. Proposed in 2010, The Büyükesat Urban Transformation and Development Project have generated a conflict regarding the residents' rights in the three surrounding neighborhoods (Birlik, Kırkkonaklar, and Gaziosmanpaşa Neighborhoods). While this project has been periodically revised through public pressure, the development momentum has largely continued—raising concerns about ecological degradation, risk mitigation, and spatial justice. This study investigates the complex and ongoing transformation of the Büyükesat Valley, focusing on the planning processes, environmental vulnerabilities, and competing actor narratives that influence its urban future. In this framework, the study consists of three stages; documenting the spatial and policy driven transformation of Büyükesat Valley, analyzing the roles and strategies of key urban actors, and exploring how nature-based solutions could be introduced to reframe the valley as an ecologically and socially valuable urban space. Methodologically, the research incorporates spatial analysis of land use change, actor and discourse analysis of professional institutions, residents and community organizations. This research ultimately seeks to contribute to broader conversations on just ecological transition in cities by envisioning valley systems not as residual or developable zones, but as critical urban ecologies that require integrated, participatory, and resilient planning approaches.
Keywords: Urban Development Pressure, Nature-Based Solutions, Ecologically Sensitive Areas, Büyükesat Valley (Ankara)