FAHRIYE SANCAR

College of Architecture & Planning

Fulbright Scholar

Ankara, Turkey 2001-2002

DEVELOPMENT/DESIGN REVIEW PROCESSES AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PUBLIC REALM

During her teaching at Bilkent University, Ankara-Turkey. Fahriye Sancar, professor of urban design,  met with students interested in post-graduate studies (MS and PhD) in the United States.  Sancar was familiar with the literature and the state of urbanization and planning in Turkey, but her extended stay enhanced her understanding. She discovered writings paralleling the dynamism of the public spaces, design and the environment. She saw that the patterns of urbanization and planning responses are more similar to those in the United States than to responses in Europe. What differed were the adaptations of ordinary people in everyday life, possibly due to the particular cultural heritage and a growing younger population. I making this comparative analysis between the two countries’ patterns of urbanization, she noted that one can observe the determining affects of the free market economy and a conservative political agenda very clearly. Sancar was able to gather relevant literature and data sources from Ankara and collect information on specific projects for use in future analysis.

Prior to Sancar’s Fulbright experience in Turkey, she and many scholars in her field considered research fellowships more attractive than teaching. Her time at Bilkent University convinced her that lecturing and teaching are useful and productive for the host institution and the grantee.

“From a professional point of view, this experience has been invaluable and I will continue to benefit from it for years to come as I begin to write the results of my studies and as we continue to collaborate on new research with my Turkish colleagues.”

- Fahriye Sancar
College of Architecture & Planning