A spatial reading on environmental urban identity: The place of stamps as cultural heritage in urban memory

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A spatial reading on environmental urban identity: The place of stamps as cultural heritage in urban memory [Megaron]

Megaron. 2022; 17(3): 461-485 | DOI: 10.14744/megaron.2022.90592

A spatial reading on environmental urban identity: The place of stamps as cultural heritage in urban memory

Yelda Durgun �ahin
Department of Architecture, Adana Science and Technology University Faculty of Architecture and Design, Adana, Türkiye

Türkiye is a unique country with its natural beauties, historical and archaeological heritage, socio-cultural life. Each of these characteristics gives a local urban identity for each city. The Great Country Cities series of postage stamps in the Republic of Türkiye belonging to 67 cities showing the photographs of the cities were printed between 1958-1960. Stamps as an inventory and a tool for urban memory express our national identity. By creating stamp illustrations that show the natural and artificial environment of cities, they have become a visual communication tool that allows cities to be promoted and reach a wide audience.
In this study, which is about environmental identity analysis, it is selected the Great Country Cities series of postage stamp to study the perception of the city of the photographer(s).The intuitive approach of the photographer while photographing the urban environment has led to the promotion of cities by reaching large audiences through stamps. This study aims to reveal the perception of the urban environment that influences these artists' decisions when photographing cities. Therefore, the study is carried to determine the environmental identity components and image elements of the urban area on the city stamps. Thus, the perception of the city by the artist who photographs cities would be revealed.
This study evaluated the artist's perception when these stamps were photographed. There are three stages to the study. In the first stage, the city stamps are grouped regionally and the environmental identity elements are analysed according to the city image components. In the second stage, the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method is used to determine the weights of the criteria constituting the environmental identity. At the third stage, the perception of urban identity (environmental) that the artist/artists who photographed cities wanted to emphasise about that cities were evaluated comparatively with weighted criteria. At the end of the study, it is seen that the environmental urban identity perception has regional differences, and the image elements of the cities are revealed. When the regional analysis findings were compared with the AHP method; It is seen that the order of the criteria weights of the artificial environment components and the order of the graphical reading (findings obtained in accordance with the Gestalt theory and Lynch city image component analysis) findings, which are considered regionally, are the same. When the natural environmental components are examined regionally; in all regions, geographical features are the first element that comprises the environmental identity, followed by natural vegetation, and finally by water. When the artificial environmental components are examined regionally; in all regions, urban image element make up the first component of environmental identity, followed by urban masses and urban transportation network. It is seen that urban void is the least perceived artificial environmental component in all regions. As a result, regional differences are seen in environmental identity perception. Moreover, as environmental conditions change in different cities, the same component affects identity formation at different rates and has varying effects on people. Thus, studying environmental identity requires evaluation of the natural environment in conjunction with the artificial environment because they are inseparable.
According to the study's outputs that natural and artificial environmental components need to be evaluated holistically in urban identity studies. It is demonstrated that the perception of identity, which is intangible data, can be measured by used method. In terms of supporting the results of the regional analysis, the use of the AHP method in evaluating environmental identity is regarded positively. Stamps serve as an urban memory tool, conserving a historical era and cultural heritage as documents. This study is important because it introduces the components that reflect the past urban identities of the 67 cities studied. It is known that there are changes in the identities of these cities with the different historical layers and environmental variables they have today. Thus, the city postage stamp as urban memory tool is an effective inventory of preserving and recording urban identity information of the historical cities that describing a era.

Keywords: AHP method, environmental identity; urban image; urban identity; city postage stamp

�evresel kent kimli�i üzerine mek�nsal bir okuma: Kültürel miras olarak pullar�n kent belle�indeki yeri

Yelda Durgun �ahin
Adana Bilim ve Teknoloji �niversitesi Mimarl�k ve Tasar�m Fakültesi, Mimarl�k B�lümü �ehircilik Anabilim Dal�, Adana, Türkiye

Kent pullar�, ait olduklar� ülkenin kültürel, sosyal, ekonomik, tarihsel, turistik, mimari gibi �ok �e�itli ulusal kimlik de�erlerini yans�tan ve kentlerin tan�t�lmas�nda etkin rol alan �nemli tarihsel belgelerdir. Pullar, üzerlerindeki yap�, eser, konu, tema gibi bilgiler arac�l�� ile bir kentin, bir ülkenin tarihini nitelemektedir. Bu �al��man�n konusu, 1958-1960 y�llar� aras�nda bas�lm�� olan Türkiye�nin 67 vilayetine ait �Büyük Memleket �ehirleri� posta pullar�n�n, kent ve mimari �l�ekte yans�tmak istedi�i �evresel kimli�i anlamaya �al��makt�r. �al��ma kapsam�nda, pullar�n resmedildikleri tarihteki sanat��n�n imgelem alan�ndaki kentsel �evrede kimlik alg�s� ele al�nm��t�r. �mgesel �zellik g�steren �geler, �al��man�n kavramsal ve kuramsal yakla��m�nda ortaya koyulan yapay ve do�al �evre kimlik bile�enleri kullan�larak analiz edilmi�tir. �al��ma ü� temel a�amada kurgulanm��, birinci a�amada pullar, b�lgesel olarak grupland�r�lm�� ve üzerinde mek�nsal okuma ger�ekle�tirilmi�tir. �kinci a�amada, �evresel kimli�i olu�turan kriter a��rl�klar�n�n belirlenmesi i�in analitik hiyerar�i süreci y�ntemi kullan�lm��t�r. ��üncü a�amada, vilayetlerin yans�tm�� oldu�u kent kimli�i (�evresel) alg�s�, say�salla�t�r�lan veri setlerinin birlikte de�erlendirilmesi ile b�lgesel olarak yorumlanm��t�r. �al��man�n sonunda �evresel kimlik alg�s�n�n, b�lgelere g�re farkl�l�klara sahip oldu�u g�rülmü�tür. De�i�en �evre ko�ullar�yla ayn� bile�enin farkl� bir kentte, insan üzerinde b�rakt�� etkinin de�i�ti�i ve kimlik olu�umunu farkl� oranlarda etkiledi�i g�rülmü�tür. Soyut bir veri olan kimlik alg�s�n�n, se�ilen y�ntemler ile �l�ülebilir nitelikte oldu�u ortaya koyulmu�tur. Ayr�ca pullar, üzerinde yer alan kent resimleri ile tarihsel bir d�nemi ve kültürel miras� yans�tmas� nedeniyle, kent belle�i arac� olarak korunmas� gereken belge niteli�i ta��maktad�r.

Anahtar Kelimeler: Analitik hiyerar�i sü, reci y�ntemi; �evresel kimlik; kentsel imaj; kentsel kimlik; kent pullar�

Yelda Durgun �ahin. A spatial reading on environmental urban identity: The place of stamps as cultural heritage in urban memory. Megaron. 2022; 17(3): 461-485

Corresponding Author: Yelda Durgun �ahin, T�rkiye

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