An inquiry on contemporary parks and design strategies

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Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Mimarlık, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2011

Tezin Dili: İngilizce

Öğrenci: SEDA ULUDAĞ

Danışman: Fatma Cânâ Bilsel

Özet:

There has been a notable interest in landscape design in the recent years. Growing environmental consciousness and the deindustrialization process in cities have resulted in the new park design projects which have been created through recovery of waste lands. The thesis examines a number of selected park projects with two frameworks which are the reclamation methods and the design strategies. The reclamation methods constitute the ways of recovering wastelands; while, the design strategies constitute the design approaches and methods used in these projects at urban scale. The contemporary approaches to park design are studied in the thesis, in three parts which are ''the strategic design'', ''the place-based design'' and ''the ecological design''. Two proposals of the Parc de la Villette competition, Parc André Citroën, Bercy, Invaliden, Downsview, Fresh Kills and High Line parks are the cases studied. A categorization of the approaches was done according to the design concepts of the projects. Strategic design comprises the projects conceived in a way that would adapt to future conditions; place-based design covers the projects designed by referring to the meanings derived from their sites with the aim to maintain or create a sense of place; and finally ecological design cover projects which were designed to sustain and diversify the ecological values of their sites. The examination of three types of park design approaches does not propose a strict categorization; but rather it displays continuities in the evolution of park designs. The design concepts, strategies and tools, besides the working principles and innovative aspects of these approaches are studied in a comparative way. The thesis is concluded with an evaluation of the new significances of landscape design.