An assessment on the link between sustainability and urban form: The case of Gaziantep

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Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Mimarlık Fakültesi, Şehir ve Bölge Planlama Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2014

Öğrenci: ŞEYDA YILMAZ

Danışman: SERAP KAYASÜ

Özet:

Sustainability ensures a better quality of life and more sustainable world environment now and in the future. Our climate is constantly changing due to some human induced factors. These changes have negative effects on the environment and human life. Lasting solutions to this global problem can only be achieved by sustainability. Climate change is acknowledged as a serious environmental problem. In recent years, researchers have found a close link between climate change and cities. On the one hand, it is a threat to quality of life in cities by increasing the pressure on cities where cities are exposed to adverse effect of climate change. On the other hand, cities are major contributors to climate change. They are responsible for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. Cities can be an important part of the solution to decrease adverse effects of climate change. They must grow and expand sustainably to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change. The term "sustainability" is mentioned together with the concept of urban form in planning literature. Urban form is encountered as an important tool for managing effects of climate change. It has a profound impact on a city‟s energy needs, and consequently, its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study aims to emphasize importance of design concepts derived from sustainable urban forms which help to reduce the effects of climate change and determine if growth and development of Gaziantep is sustainable or not by using these design concepts that are compactness, sustainable transportation, and mixed land uses.