Turkey Planning and Design Studio Abroad will take place in Turkey. A brief introduction to Turkish culture and urbanization will be in Istanbul, the biggest city of Turkey. Then the studio will focus on Seferihisar, the first certified slow city in Turkey. Learning from Seferihisar’s experience and developing planning and design policies for Seferihisar will be the goal of the studio.
Istanbul, a city of layers of history; the capital of the Ottoman Empire, center of Byzantium, and melting pot for many in modern Turkey. The context is used as an opportunity for the class to expedite their orientation to the cultural environment and the planning context of Turkey. Emphasis will be on historical layers, the Roman heritage, the Byzantian and the Ottoman city, domestic and civic architecture.
Seferihisar , located on the southern shore of Izmir Peninsula, on the Aegean Sea. Seferihisar’s historical heritage, natural beauty, and agricultural tradition provide a unique place to learn about sustainable tourism practices. During the late aughts Municipality of Seferihisar exhibited a strong commitment to the principles of slow city and on 2009 the town has received Cittaslow cerfication. In simple terms, Cittaslow towns aim to be great places to live, work and visit. They aim to support local businesses, foster local traditions, protect the environment, welcome visitors, and encourage active participation in community life. Each Cittaslow town commits to working towards a set of over 50 goals and principles that aim to improve its quality of life. These goals and principles provide tangible benchmarks against which a town can measure its progress and act as a mechanism to bring local people from all walks of life together to work collectively for the good of their town.