ÇALIŞMA PROGRAMLARIMIZ – Kent Araştırmaları Enstitüsü

Çalışma
Programlarımız

Kentlerin karmaşık doğası ve çözüm bekleyen sorunları, kent üzerine düşünsel çalışmaların ve araştırmaların artırılmasını giderek daha önemli hale getirmektedir. Her ne kadar günümüzde bu tür çalışmalar niteliksel ve niceliksel olarak azımsanamayacak düzeyde olsa da, Kent Araştırmaları Enstitüsü olarak amacımız kenti farklı boyutları ile birlikte sistemli bir bütünlük halinde ele almaktır. Yenilikçi, yaratıcı ve etkin araçlar ile disiplinlerarası bir yaklaşım doğrultusunda mevcut sorunları fark edilir hale getirmek ve çözüm alternatifleri geliştirebilmek temel motivasyonumuzu oluşturmaktadır.  

Böylesi bir motivasyondan hareketle, tüm kentsel süreçleri kapsayacağını düşündüğümüz yedi farklı çalışma programı tanımlanmıştır. Alanında uzman akademisyenlerin direktörlüğünde yürütülen çalışma programları; güncel konuları tartışmaya açmak, sahanın deneyimini aktarmak, bilimsel ve toplumsal bilgi üretmek, üretilen bilgiyi yaygınlaştırmak ve toplumsal farkındalığı artırmak adına etkinlikler, yazılı ve görsel yayınlar, araştırmalar, içerik üretimi gibi araçlar ile çalışmalarını gerçekleştirmektedir. 

The relationship between human and nature has entered a different evolutionary process since humanity began to transform natural resources into surplus products. In the process that started with the discovery of urban life and continues with the planetary urbanization, we experience today that nature has faced “creative destruction”. The excessive consumption of resources and the domination of humans over nature have prepared the infrastructure for a great ecological crisis. An anthropocentric environmental understanding that separates humans from nature has brought many ecological crises such as food, water, climate, global epidemics. Despite the negative effects of this crisis, which we now directly experience in every aspect of life, excessive urbanization, uncontrolled use of natural resources and ecological destruction continue unabated. Being aware of the need for nature to sustain life, has become one of the most vital issues of our time to discuss how to radically transform from a human-centered approach to a nature-centered approach. Urban and Ecology Working Group aims to identify current problems, explore current perspectives for their solutions, and present applicable models for the construction of a sustainable relationship between human nature and city-rural. In this context, mitigation and adaptation processes of the climate crisis and the natural disasters it brings, planning of gray/blue/green infrastructures and discussion of application models, development of site-specific nature-based solutions, consideration of ecosystem services with their economic, ecological and social dimensions will be included in the programme.

Urban and Ecology Working Group intends to offer the solution of ecological problems that are local in their origins but global in their effects, through scientific research, publications, reports, and analyses. Similarly, interviews, symposia, etc. aims to carry out activities that center nature by creating information-sharing platforms.

Societies build the spaces they live in, these spaces also build people’s culture and identity. Spatial memory is produced in this interaction process and it is an important interface in the formation of the identity of the place, the provision of social belonging, the production of social collective memory and culture. Preserving the meaning of the tangible and intangible values of the space, transferring it to future generations, producing new social meanings and usage values together with the continuity of the historical and cultural layers of the cities are issues that need to be handled sensitively to ensure the sustainability of memory. Especially in today’s urbanization dynamics, which corresponds with speed and economic priorities, while transferring the values produced by the past to the future, how today’s original values should be integrated into this emerges as a critical issue. Since current urbanization practices generally adopt the approach of demolishing and rebuilding the existing, the physical environment undergoes a constant and rapid change and transformation, while the memory and cultural values contained in the space are destroyed. In addition to such interventions, the memory function of the space is also affected by events such as unplanned urbanization and dense population flow. Such radical and intense interventions lead to the reshaping of the space and harm the values of the place and society. Culture, Space and Memory Studies, taking into account all kinds of institutional or individual interventions in the city, sometimes aims to follow the traces of the past and sometimes to seek answers to the question of how we can transfer the heritage that has reached the present day to the future. Thus, it aims to contribute to the preservation of the city’s memory and culture by introducing innovative approaches and producing application models. In this framework, all kinds of socio-spatial processes that make up the spatial memory – the public spaces that produce the anonymous culture of the city, the historical textures that have survived by stratification, the industrial, cultural, and ecological heritage, the original spatial formations and values caused by ethnic or class differences – are within the scope of the programme.

Culture, Space and Memory Studies Programme aims to produce scientific research, publications, reports, analyses while creating sharing platforms with a series of seminars, workshops, and webinars to produce qualified products on these issues and to bring together representatives on certain issues and to share information. In addition to these, it aims to lay the groundwork for experiential knowledge transfer by organizing field trips to unique urban textures.

With the increasing urban population and expansionist urbanization policies, the tendency to make mobility within space unlimited is turning transportation into a critical urban function. When globalizing transportation networks and the continuously increasing demand for accessibility at different scales are not planned holistically with the right policies and implementation tools, they bring about economic, ecological, and social problem areas.

Especially when considered at the urban scale, urban transportation, which is a crucial part of daily life in cities, emerges as one of the main problem areas. Urban transportation, which should be considered both in the context of sustainability and as a right, must offer the integration of diverse transportation modes, including pedestrian circulation, and provide a system that considers different user groups. However, existing policies on urban transportation tend to support private vehicle use rather than including public transportation systems and environmentally friendly transportation solutions, resulting in an unsustainable and unaffordable transportation structure.

In traditional approaches to transportation planning, priority is given to vehicles, whereas contemporary approaches prioritize people. Before the construction of transportation infrastructure, environmental sensitivity is taken into account.

While planning the main scheme of urban transportation at a higher scale is important for designing an effective system, detailing solutions that consider different urban groups and their needs at this scale is quite challenging. For such solutions, approaches that define the scale of daily life and the varying urban segments are needed. Although the principles adopted by urban transportation plans to create a holistic and functional system, as well as the solutions produced with specific goals, are significant, it is equally important to develop mid- and small-scale solutions that facilitate users' daily lives alongside this technical process. In this sense, a well-planned transportation system means a system that meets the needs of users at every scale and responds to their demands.

When the issue of urban transportation is considered in the context of the right to transportation, the first topic that comes to mind is the quantitative and qualitative quality of public transportation, which is a public service. The offered transportation alternatives, their integration, the scale of accessibility they provide, and fare tariffs emerge as primary issues. The right to transportation encompasses more than just public transportation services. It also includes the creation of a physical environment that facilitates pedestrian circulation within the city, the development of other individual transportation alternatives such as bicycles, and the transformation of physical arrangements that prioritize automobiles in favor of other modes of transportation. However, the critical point in realizing the full content of this transportation right is the development of approaches that consider the diverse urban groups living in the city. Policies should be developed at a fundamental level to address the problems faced by disadvantaged users in various modes of public transportation, as pedestrians, and in other individual transportation alternatives (such as bicycles) by focusing on different types of transportation. Although decision-makers may have tendencies towards adopting such an approach, research on what principles could ensure its realization is still very new.

Within the scope of this program, the primary goal is to focus on urban transportation while also conducting research and creating information-sharing platforms aimed at developing innovative transportation systems and solutions at all scales in line with a holistic approach.

The 2000s witnessed many events such as economic crises, disasters, migration crises, and pandemics that demanded rethinking the role and meaning of housing in terms of society and economy. With the developments deepening the existing social and spatial inequalities, governments in many countries turned to housing researches, and housing policies were renewed and updated in line with these researches. Accordingly, housing work has undergone a significant transformation in the last ten years. For our country, it is the right time to form ideas about housing, to challenge and understand how to solve housing problems, and to start a Housing Studies Working Group Programme related to it. Konut Çalışmaları Programının temel hedefi Türkiye’de kökeni geçmişe dayanan, bugün deneyimlediğimiz ve geleceğe aktarılması muhtemel konutla ilişkili konuları ve sorunları çok yönlü bir şekilde inceleyerek bütüncül bir perspektif ile çözüm odaklı çalışmalar yapmaktır. Eğitim, araştırma, akademi ve politika alanlarındaki ihtiyaçları karşılamak üzere, doğası gereği pek çok disiplinin kesişiminde yer alan konut çalışmalarının çok disiplinliğini de gözeterek, nicel ve nitel desenli araştırmaların yol göstericiliğinde yürütülecek olan programda kongre, kitap dizisi ve webinarlarla birlikte dinamik bir süreç tasarımı planlanmaktadır.

Housing serves many functions from a social perspective. On the other hand, the production and consumption process of housing brings together numerous actors. What makes housing a problem area is this multifunctional and multi-actor structure. The primary function of housing is to provide shelter, one of the most fundamental needs of humans since their existence. Today, in addition to its function as a shelter, housing serves as a consumer and investment good, provides economic security, and plays a role in the reproduction of the workforce and social relations. Due to this multifunctionality, actors with different needs and expectations emerge on the demand side, while on the supply side, a housing sector dominated by the private sector has developed, aiming to meet expectations rather than needs. As a result, complex problem areas arise in terms of housing supply, financing, accessibility, and housing/living conditions for different segments of society. Another actor in the housing field is the state itself. Since housing is a human right, the need to prevent the negative consequences of leaving it entirely to the free market forms the basis for the state's various interventions in the housing market. These interventions sometimes form part of the solution, while at other times, they emerge as a new problem area. Within this multifunctional and multi-actor structure, developing multifaceted thinking and utilizing the perspectives and tools offered by different disciplines is inevitable for solving housing-related problems.

In line with the aforementioned points, the Housing Research Program will address a wide range of topics within its scope, including the mechanisms/tools that shape the provision and financing of housing, housing as a human right, affordable housing, the rental housing market, housing culture, sustainable housing, and housing environments. The program aims to contribute to conceptual, theoretical, and practical discussions by preparing field research and solution-oriented reports that examine housing from different dimensions. Additionally, it seeks to create platforms that bring together actors conducting studies in various fields related to the housing issue, facilitating information sharing and enabling the production of solutions made possible by collective intelligence.

In today's world, where the meaning of urban governance is undergoing transformation, and the search for more participation and collaboration continues, there is a growing need for studies that will ensure the construction and practical application of urban democracy. It is an undeniable reality that urban residents, who experience all the advantages and disadvantages of urban life together, have the right to make decisions about their lives. In this context, the primary aim of the Urban Governance and Democratization Studies Program is to produce applicable urban governance models by conducting studies aimed at democratization for both local governments and urban residents within complex urban processes. The program targets making cities effective areas where citizens with active citizenship and urban awareness can make decisions about all urban processes that concern them, where democracy flourishes, and where local democracy practices are put into effect. It is important to raise the necessary awareness at the grassroots level to demand the right to the city and to produce innovative ideas and practices to establish this right under the leadership of local governments. This program will address all topics and problem areas that can be examined within the scope of urban governance, from defining the urban vision that will form the basis for social development and urban growth, determining the policies and strategies to concretize this vision, planning and design processes that form the foundation for the production of the built environment, to the production and delivery of urban services. Alongside these, the program will include monitoring local governments and their ongoing municipal activities, and developing suggestions for participatory urban governance models and innovative participation tools.

The Urban Studies Institute aims to contribute to the democratization of urban governance by conducting scientific research, publishing reports and analyses, and organizing seminars and workshops. The institute focuses on forming and presenting urban demands, and developing the necessary tools and appropriate environment for a collaborative urban management. Through these activities, the institute seeks to foster democratic processes in urban governance.

Cities are more than just stages where societies exist; they are phenomena that interact with society, are socially produced, and shape the social structure to the same extent. Beyond being a physical space, a city is considered a socio-spatial pattern in this approach. Therefore, societal events are an inseparable part of the spaces where they occur, influence, and are influenced.

The demographic, class-based, and identity-related characteristics of the subjects forming the social structure create a sufficiently heterogeneous society. The various aspects of social processes and their urban/spatial manifestations result in a highly complex socio-spatial structure. This structure sometimes encompasses deep-seated problem areas, while at other times, it harbors solutions and opportunities. The Urban and Society Studies Program aims to trace the problems posed by the current socio-spatial structure, uncover the underlying causes, dynamics, and consequences, develop alternative approaches and solutions, and discover potential opportunities. In this context, the program will examine a wide range of topics, including: The political economy of current urbanization processes that exploit living spaces and pave the way for displacement and dispossession. The socio-spatial transformation triggered by (forced) migration. The political and ideological mechanisms that erode social and spatial publicness. Urban policies that marginalize disadvantaged groups and minority identities by ignoring gender equality. The resulting urban social movements. All studies exploring the relationship between the city, society, and space will be included within the scope of the program.

The Urban and Society Studies Program aims to contribute to the literature by preparing scientific research, publications, and reports on the aforementioned socio-spatial processes. Additionally, the program seeks to facilitate sharing platforms through events such as seminars, talks, and symposiums.

The fundamental structure that triggered the emergence of the urban phenomenon and continues to form the backbone of urbanization dynamics today is the economy. Economic criteria play a significant role in defining cities, especially metropolitan ones. However, the prevailing economic paradigm, with its intensive consumption of resources and labor, has led to a major crisis. The economy, particularly one fueled by urbanization and the production of the built environment, presents an unproductive and environmentally destructive trajectory. The linear economy, with its one-way input-output relationships and profit maximization focus, especially at the local level, leads to the faster depletion of seemingly limitless resources, resulting in urban poverty and socio-economic bottlenecks. On one hand, the social injustices produced by this model, and on the other hand, the inefficient and uncontrolled use of natural resources, pose significant threats to the future. In this context, there is an increasingly felt need for a new economic paradigm based on sustainable social development and ecological sensitivities, along with the tools and mechanisms for its implementation.

Within the discussions of a new economic model, the impacts and feasibility of circular and digital economies on urban processes stand out as contemporary issues that need to be considered. The circular economy approach, in particular, which is based on re-evaluating, transforming, and creating new values from all resources used in production, holds a privileged place in the current ecological crisis. The Urbanization and (Circular) Economy Study Program aims to produce environmentally-focused, sustainable economic solutions that can address contemporary needs and be applied at the urban scale, paving the way for both social and ecological sustainability. Within the context of urban economy, the program necessitates rethinking creative industries and current urban sectors. It prioritizes defining the components of innovative and sustainable economic approaches, analyzing relationships, and developing alternatives for creating the necessary infrastructures. In addition, critical studies on the existing political economy and the linear economic model will also be addressed within the scope of this program.

Within the conceptual framework defined by the program, it aims to contribute to both practice and the relevant literature by producing various scientific research, reports, field studies, and analyses. Additionally, the program seeks to facilitate information sharing through interactive platforms by organizing events such as symposiums and talks.

Çalışma Programlarımız

In traditional approaches to transportation planning, priority is given to vehicles, whereas contemporary approaches prioritize people. Before the construction of transportation infrastructure, environmental sensitivity is taken into account.

Within the scope of this program, the primary goal is to focus on urban transportation while also conducting research and creating information-sharing platforms aimed at developing innovative transportation systems and solutions at all scales in line with a holistic approach.

© 2026 - Kent Araştırmaları Enstitüsü

Çalışma
Programlarımız