The ancient city of Caunus lies on the southwest shore of Anatolia, across the island of Rhodes. In the present time, it is located within the borders Köyceğiz town and is on the western bank of the Dalyan River, which connects Lake Köyceğiz with Mediterranean Sea. A port in earlier times, the city now is at quite a distance from the seashore due to the formation of the Dalyan Delta. Its harbor’s location was strategically important for ships sailing between Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean. The Caunus Theater, situated towards southwest and overlooks the city and sea, is one of the best preserved among the Anatolian theaters as well as other structures of Caunus. Owing to the topography of the site, while the seats situated on the east of the theatre are located on a reformed rock, the seats on the north and west are supported by analemma. Analemma along with some of the seats and the stage are currently in ruins. However, during the process initiated by the founding of an “archeological park” in the city together with its immediate surroundings, a detailed architectural documentation of the city buildings has been planned. This documentation aims not only to document the buildings in isolation but also to indicate the location of the buildings within the city and the relations between the buildings and the topography. Digital coordinate measuring equipment are used for measuring the land, and the fundamental geometry of the theater are recorded in detail. All structural elements are measured meticulously, and a detailed 3-dimensional picture of the theater is created, from which a restituition model is generated in digital format. We have attempted to identify the principal characteristics of the structure using simulations performed on the digital model.

In ancient times, bazaars were an integral part of the city life; bifurcating from the city structure and reflecting each period of time’s architectural characteristics. It is also said that they are the source of 20 communications and trade activities. However, due to the quick changes in the cities’ spatial configurations that we are living in, these traditional spaces started to run a risk of possible cultural continuity alteration. But, despite the disturbing contradiction which is affecting their traditional allure, they still reflect an undying identity. They are still talking about the engraved cultural memory thro ugh several architectural traits and spatial experiences. This paper aims to highlight the significance of the 25 Medina of Tunis bazaars’ resistance against globalization. The present study case analysis lead to a conceptual framing of cultural continuity’s model being a tripartite relation between identity, heritage and collective memory. Through this research, it had been concluded that several resistance traits witness that the Medina of Tunis is still showing a cultural continuity able to counter the market capitalization.

The rapid and unrestrained transformation of traditional housing patterns, generally based on the experience and cultural background of the inhabitants, as a result of different requirements and new building techniques, has caused various urban problems all over the world. Turkey has also encountered these problems during the development process of multi-storey dwellings that have ignored the existing urban pattern starting from late 19th century. This study deals with the transformation engendered by implementing blocks of multi-storey apartments in İstanbul, starting from the 19th century, and its effects on the social and physical environments. In fact, the new dwellings have influenced not only the urban pattern, but also social life. In this context, the influence of new building types on the urban pattern transformation and their effects on urban memory are evaluated. Various researchers have expressed their concern for considering dwellings separately from their environmental contexts. Unfortunately, environments integrating dwellings and their surroundings have become difficult to find in Turkey. Within the mass production mentality, new dwelling forms proliferating rapidly with various requirements and interests have invaded cities in the form of concrete blocks and have become estranged from the existing environment. Istanbul was selected in this study because it has been largely influenced by the modernization process and incorporates different building techniques and forms more than other Turkish metropolitan cities. This study aims to evaluate how the rise of multistoried dwellings in the 19th century, a historical districts in Istanbul, affected social life and how continuing this architectural approach has transformed the existing urban environment.

An extremely large housing stock representing different concepts and designed with diverse ideas exists. This is important so as to sustain a variety of social, cultural and economic factors. Modern housing settlements from 1930-1970 represent a very important part of the stock in terms of both a long lifetime and the cultural memory of the city. Today, a lot of housing from this period have several spatial quality problems. To solve the problems and sustain the quality, the first things we need to examine are the factors of spatial quality and user characteristics. This research focuses on modern housing stock spatial quality problems and their parameters. The main aim of the study is to examine the facts of the spatial quality with user perceptions. The method of the study is based on a literature review, site observations and questionnaires with the users. At the beginning, the quality concept in housing settlements and parameters of the spatial quality in existing stock were researched. Site observations were made in the 4th Levent Neighbourhood that was designed and built in the modern period. With the help of the literature review and site observations, details of the questionnaires were defined. The questionnaires about spatial quality were conducted with 40 residential users in the neighbourhood, and the results were analysed along with the comments.

High-rise buildings are constantly changing and developing since they first began to be constructed. When the development of high-rise buildings is examined, most are found being used as offices. However, according to the changing economic, social and cultural requirements of contemporary urban life, this function has been declining, and high-rise office buildings have been replaced with residential apartments. Although high-rise buildings are still primarily used as offices around the world (45%), more than 50% are used as residential buildings in Turkey. As people spend a considerable amount of time in residential spaces, high-rise buildings must also offer standard residence comforts to their users when functioning residentially. In this study, the influence of physical indoor environment parameters in high-rise residential buildings on their indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is examined. Selected national and international buildings are compared in terms of IEQ-determining parameters. To construct new high-rise residential buildings, methods—design, planning, technology, material, and application—that do not affect user health negatively and enhances the user productivity and energy efficiency have been determined. High-rise buildings can be designed to be environment friendly, energy efficient, and sustainable. However, the applicability of these factors decreases with per-meter increases in the building height. The study result indicates building skin as the most important component for obtaining an ideal IEQ. The design of the building envelope as a single façade can hamper the IEQ sustainability as well as occupant safety. However, designing the building envelope as a double skin façade offers thermal comfort with layered structure, fresh indoor air quality with opportunities for natural ventilation, acoustic comfort with noise absorption, and illumination comfort with sun control elements and can easily and sustainably ensure IEQ and occupant safety.

Watermills are examples of industrial heritage carrying traces of improvement in hydraulic power technology and reveal societies’ cultural structure and lifestyle since the ancient times. They are “historical documents” in terms of structure type, assembly, and production techniques. A research conducted on the water mills of Anatolia known to be used for grinding in three different water basins revealed that watermills surviving to the present day are not considered cultural heritage and are unregistered; hence, a study for the conservation of these structures was decided to be started. To effectively conserve them, creating inventories for the identified watermills was undertaken. Accordingly, a “watermill inventory” model was developed by creating two different forms about settlement and structure details, using the TÜBA-TÜKSEK Turkish Cultural Inventory Project principles as guidelines. These forms were used for documenting 25 watermills identified in “Eastern Black Sea Basin” and “Çağlayan, Sulak, Arılı” subbasins. The watermills were examined according to criteria based on their originality and integrity of their structure and technology. The original structural sustainability of the watermills was determined to be under threat, and the determined deteriorations were numerically evaluated according to their form, location, and significance. Based on results of the evaluation, a conservation approach was designed and used to identify watermills having priority for conservation according to the structures ranked according to their deterioration status.

Aircraft as a novel and exciting technological invention of the 20th century and aviation industry engendered new building types, first for the military and then for civil purposes. This developing field was pursued by the Ottoman State in the same years as the western countries and later by the Republic of Turkey, with its own facilities, and initiatives were started in this regard. Upon the emergence of military aviation, establishment of aviation organizations, and comprehension of their important role in wars and intergovernmental relationships, the Ottoman State attempted to establish a military aviation organization within its own body as of 1909 and earned itself a place in world aviation in the same period as did the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Austria and Russia (which established theirs between 1909–1912). In this context, the new emergent structure types have been hangars, airports, aviation schools, aircraft factories, and wind tunnels. Ottoman State aimed at establishing schools and educating more students in the country rather than sending two or three students abroad. To this end, as the structures of aviation Yeşilköy (San Stefano) Aviation School/Station (1912–1919), and Yeşilköy (San Stefano) Naval Aircraft School (1914–1919) were built during the inter-war period. After the Republic of Turkey was established, the facilities inherited from Ottoman State have been used and improved. Additionally, new structures have been constructed in new places. The facility of Beşiktaş Aircraft Factory as one of the first civil initiatives in aviation industry of the Republic of Turkey will be reviewed in this study based on the archives and architectural interpretations.

One of the important changes in both public housing areas and national urban renewal policies of North America and Western European countries in the 1990s is the “Mixed-Income Housing Strategy.” It is grounded on the assumption that problems of poverty will be solved more easily and society will function more efficiently if the society is mixed in terms of society and economy and if suitable spatial organization are made and necessary public services provided. The problems related to transformations only in physical terms have led to a more comprehensive and long-term approach in urban transformation considering parameters such as “sustainability, diversity and participation.” In Turkey, the current policy concerning particularly the housing areas of low-income groups constitutes demolishing the existing buildings and moving the titleholders to housing blocks built generally by Mass Housing Development Agency (TOKİ) in the same area or on the periphery of the city. Apart from the titleholders from demolished areas, the new flats are sold to households with a range of income levels. Hence, outcomes similar to those emerging from mixed-housing areas in western countries can be observed in these areas. However, this situation does not stem from a decisive policy of minimizing the negative effects of poverty concentration but from a similarity in practice. In this article, the housing policies of both developed western countries and Turkey, especially after the 1980s, will be explored. Based on the doctoral thesis, a case study was created between 2012 and 2015 on Gultepe Squatter Renewal Area in Altındag district, the first and most important squatter housing area of Ankara. Based on the findings of the case study, the social, economic, and spatial results of urban renewal practices in squatter housing areas as well as the contingent developments similar to mixed-income housing areas will be discussed.

Regional employment volatility is a phenomenon describing the strongly fluctuating patterns of employment. In the extant literature, far little attention has been devoted to understanding the causes and consequences of this phenomenon in developing countries. The present study aims to analyze the cross-regional determinants of employment volatility in Turkey. We use a range of panel data regression methods (Random Effects and OLS) and adopt employment data and various other explanatory variables for NUTS-II regions over the period 2004–2013. Our analyses indicate two main results: first, there are sizable cross-regional differences in employment volatility, and second, the volatility of a region is mostly related to demographic and market-size characteristics. Hence, regions with a high rate of labor market participation moderated growth rates and the ones constituting greater market areas experienced a relatively smooth employment pattern and, thus, enjoy a stable economy.

Since the last quarter of the 20th century, humanity has been witnessing the final political-economic and social transformation in history. Matters related to the issues such as planning, city, urban management have been identified for reconsideration. Adopting the concept of an entrepreneurial state instead of a welfare state led to a change in the planning paradigm of this transformation process that began in the mid-1970s and affected the entire world. In this framework, instead of the top-down planning approach, in an approach where the idea of participatory planning based on communicative rationality and that cares about the locality and supports the collaborative planning is adopted and put into practice, in thec context of a horizontal hierarchy. In Turkey, experiences within the context of participatory planning approach are varied. One of the most up-to-date of these experiences is the 1/100,000 scaled Mersin Environment Plan, which is an upper-scale plan produced for the entire Mersin, approved by the Mersin Metropolitan Municipality on 10.10.2016. The aim of this study is to contribute to the plans by transferring the participation experience gained in the process of creating the Mersin Environmental Plan. This study, which is limited to the participation section of the Mersin Environment Plan, includes findings on the process of participation. The success of the process is assessed under the headings of performance indicators such as equality, knowledge, method, and responsibility, and it is discussed via a descriptive approach.

House prices in Ankara vary according to locations. In neighborhoods wherein the house process are relatively lower, small house builders target the middle income groups; however, other neighborhoods have a great demand for more luxury housing projects along with high house prices. This study aims to investigate the house prices in Ankara drawing on the results of case studies that use different analyses targeting eight central districts. First, data was collected from the largest real estate website in Turkey providing information on dwelling units on sale between September 2015 and December 2015 in the different neighborhoods of the districts; the collected data was hedonically analyzed. The analysis results reveal that the price of dwelling units is significantly related to the size, number of bathrooms, number of stories, number of rooms, age, location (whether or not the dwelling units is located in Çankaya, Etimesgut, Gölbaşı or Keçiören), type, and heating system of the dwelling unit. Second, a spatial analysis was performed to identify whether the success of price estimation of hedonic analysis differ based on neighborhoods. Results of this analysis show that price estimation of the hedonic analysis best fit the house prices in Keçiören neighborhood; however, it was less successful in predicting the prices for the neighborhoods in Çankaya District.

In construction projects, documents that clearly define the rights and responsibilities of all project participants, properly identify the relationships among the project participants, and provide advance solutions to the encountered problems are defined as contract documents. The standard contract documents, developed to be used in the Turkish public construction projects, are ones published by the Public Procurement Authority (KIK). Although these contract documents are valid for all public construction projects and used in all public construction procurements, they are sufficient in neither scope nor content. Due to the KIK documents being deficient and insufficient, several problems occur in completing construction projects within the desired time, cost, and quality; moreover, many disputes arise between different project participants. This study aims to identify the deficient and insufficient components of owner–contractor agreements and the general conditions under which documents and clauses caused disputes between the parties; and to determine the problems caused by these deficiencies and insufficiencies. To this end, the comparative analysis and field research methods have been used. KIK documents have been compared with standard contract documents commonly accepted and used in the construction industry in order to identify the deficiencies and insufficiencies of KIK documents. Next, through field research, identified deficiencies and insufficiencies of KIK documents have been examined to understand whether they caused problems while executing the construction. Then, KIK documents’ problematic issues and provisions that caused disputes are determined and specific issues are identified. These issues include the discrepancies in the principle of equality between the parties, provisions of the documents, problems arising from the contracting entity, changes, determination of the price for the uncommitted works, extension of time, termination of the contract, and dispute resolution.

Design is a process that begins in an individual’s mind and finally results in a physical product. This process functions in different ways based on the initially defined design problem, in other words, the solution expected of the designer and designer’s approach, perception, creativity, and perspective. Thus, design is a problem that has infinite number of solutions depending on the designer, making it difficult for students of design to learn and comprehend it in education because it is not possible to talk about one single truth in design. This fact applies to landscape architecture education, like other design disciplines. Thus, landscape design education uses methods and techniques different from other disciplines of design. In this study, the studio work of the landscape design training of the students in Karadeniz Technical University (KTU) Landscape Architecture Department was assessed. This studio work is also important as it is the first of a series of Environmental Design Project (EDP) courses that the students are required to take for six semesters on different subjects. The results show that the eight students’ projects in the study group fulfilled the course learning outputs determined at the beginning of the lesson.