Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs (JCUA - Alanya Hamdullah Emin Paşa Üniversitesi)
Not a member yet
250 research outputs found
Sort by
Empowering the urban poor through participatory planning process: a case from Jhenaidah, Bangladesh
No full textThe paper analyses a community development project based in Jhenaidah, Bangladesh, which evolved through broadening social capital among slum communities and formal institutions in order to bring positive socio-spatial changes in the neighborhoods. Till date, nine disadvantaged communities have formed a network for city-wide community development, have started to build and manage their own funds, built better houses for themselves, and through this process have managed to draw attention and support from the local government. The positive impacts brought with the project were a result of a continuous dialectic process involving the communities and a small pool of professionals. Active presence, patience, participation and trust in people-led process were important tools, which resulted in the transformation of power within the communities. Hence issues like scaling up and economic sustainability still concern those, who can see the community-driven development process with an unbiased attitude. The overarching goal of this article is to sketch out these issues with the help of empirical understandings from the field and theoretical findings from the literature on social innovation and power in planning in order to understand how to work balance between local and institutional management of projects in order to avoid perceiving bottom-up and top-down initiatives in a dualistic manner
The causal relationship between urbanization and economic growth in US: Fresh evidence from the Toda–Yamamoto approach
No full textThis study aims to investigate the causal relationships between urbanization and economic growth for the United State during the period 1960- 2017. We utilize the time series technique known as Toda-Yamamoto method, which efficiently works even with the variables co-integrated of arbitrary order. Empirical findings suggest a unidirectional Granger causality running from urbanization to economic growth, and no Granger causality detected from economic growth to urbanization for the long run. The findings prove that urbanization is nominated as a main driving force of economic growth
Cultural landscape devastation as a consequence of poor Sustainable Urban Development practice Case study: Kostanjica, Boka Bay, Montenegro
No full textNatural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor, Boka Bay, Montenegro, is well known for its exceptional beauty, evaluated by UNESCO. The unique universal value has been embodied in the cultural landscape: vernacular architecture harmonized with the cultivated terraced landscape on the slopes of high, rocky mountains. Kostanjica is an old settlement in Boka Bay, former fishermen village, recognized for valuable elements of the cultural landscape: chestnut tree and laurel forest, terraced gardens with arable land, fruit gardens, traditional architecture in stone: clusters of houses, piers and docks, pedestrian pathways, pavements, retaining walls, well-integrated in the autochthone Mediterranean vegetation. Since Montenegro has pronounced itself Ecological state in 1991, environmental protection has become the highest priority in all Sustainable Development agendas and policies. Furthermore, preservation of regional peculiarity and fostering distinctive identity of a place, is one of the crucial sustainable development goals. The ongoing development of tourist resort “Boka Gardens” in Kostanjica has revealed these harmful, unsustainable tendencies in Montenegro. On the grounds of investor’s urban planning and profit-driven architecture, the unique and valuable cultural landscape of Kostanjica has been devastated to the extent that Boka Bay’s UNESCO status has been jeopardized. The paper researches cause of this damaging phenomena, seeking for ways of overcoming profoundly harmful building practices, thus leading to a more efficient and sustainable urban development
Urban Rights and Sustainability in Latin-America: First Steps towards Urban Justice Operationalization
No full textThe following research is based on the affirmation that urban sustainability in developing regions, such as Latin America, is an impossible goal to be totally achieved, due to the circumstances of poverty, informality (slums), corruption, violence, among others that exist there. Therefore, urban sustainability in the cities of this region has to be reached through survival efforts that seek to balance the existing inequalities (urban justice). So, the first step to take is to detect and measure those inequalities, in order to be able to take actions to eradicate or decrease them. The research presents five priority urban rights contextualized to the Latin-American spatiality, called the Latin-American urban rights (right to a living place, right to the public space, right to alterity, right to mobility and accessibility, and right to good governance practices and public policies), that were obtained after analyzing urban and social characteristics in different cities such as Santiago, Chile, Salvador de Bahía, Brazil, and Monterrey, México. Finally, the first proposal of operationalization of the Latin-American urban rights is presented, which was applied to a case study in the city of Monterrey, México, in order to prove the efficiency of the model.
Keeping the Pulse of Heritage Awareness in Ankara: Two Historic Sites, Two Interventions
Get PDFHow heritage is preserved and transmitted to the future is heavily dependent on the responsible awareness of its local society. Transformations in a historic urban landscape (HUL) are intervening into its collective memory, affecting its social sustainability and resilience. This paper considers two of these cases from the historic district of Ankara, namely Hacibayram Square and Hergelen Square, to see whether the demographic changes in the society has a similar consequence on the public awareness of the historicity and heritage values of their sites. The first case, which is a cult site of heritage, history, and religion, was previously studied. This paper explains the study for the second case, Hergelen (itfaiye) Square with a more recent historical significance, and interprets the outcomes of the two studies tieh their differing and common aspects. Hergelen Square has been exposed to a series of demolitions, two of which are the foci of this work: the Bank of Municipalities building, a heritage monument from the early republican era of Turkey, and Otto Herbert Hajek’s sculpture. The questionnaire outcomes of both independent surveys demonstrated that as the educational level of the participants decreased the admiration for the transformative interventions increased. However, being identified with different priorities and functions, the case of Hergelen Square, when considered with its past and former interventions that it has been exhausted to, implicated further insights about the problem of integrity of the HUL of Ankara
Reformation of Slums
No full textThe world keeps getting better in every aspect including housing and infrastructure and the growing technology keeps improving affordable housing, but the chances of completely eradicating slums will remain slim because there will always be people unable to afford better housing than slums have to offer. Aside from the fact that a slum is known as being the residential environment with the poorest living conditions, it is also known for various negative activities and a relatively high crime rate. The notion that an environment greatly influences an individual holds out the necessity to create better living conditions that will in time nurture and improve the individual. To this end, the reformation of slums should be a priority. In as much as these slums cannot be eradicated completely, physical upgrading of slums with improved street networks, better building materials, better air quality, easy access to basic municipal services, improves natural ventilation, natural lighting and better drainages will prove to make positive changes economically, socially and reduce crime rates in many cities. It will also improve the physical general wellbeing of communities. In conclusion, a community, no matter how small has the ability to influence the general well-being of an entire nation. Paying a little more attention to the physical reformation of slums will positively affect the world at large in the long run
Analysis of the Extent of Red Light Running in Minna, North-Central Nigeria
No full textThis research pursued the objectives of assessing the awareness, perception, and levels of adherence of road users to traffic rules and regulations. The study was carried out in Minna and the major signalized roads were the target of the research. The research applied the survey research methodology, which involves carrying volumetric count of vehicles running the red lights on the signalized routes. The research, therefore, found out that, majority of the violators of the traffic signals were the motorcycle riders, closely followed by the tricycle operators; the commercial vehicle owners also form a major percentage of violators of the red light rules in the city. The research, therefore, recommended that strict measures aimed at ensuring immediate compliance with the traffic signals should be implemented, through fines and sanctions on violators to impoundment of offending vehicles. The research concluded that, if instant measures are not put in place to check the menace of the red light running, it will have a serious adverse effect on the social and economic strata of the city
Architecture and Human Rights
No full textThis article investigates on the concept of space, its production, use, and change processes, and uncovers the interrelations between social and spatial practices. Based on Lefebvre’s concept of the Right to the City, the article discussed two main spatial rights: the right to the oeuvre and the right to appropriation. To justify these spatial rights on the ground of legal rights, a comparison method is used in this article and three main legal documents is set against each other. These documents are the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the ‘World Charter for the Right to the City’ and the ‘European Declaration of Urban Rights’. As a result of this comparison, 22 universal norms are identified. These norms and the awareness regarding them and their ethical and legal background can empower social/spatial activism and be used for performing and evaluating spatial practices
Towards Reviving the Missing Noble Characteristics of Traditional Habitual Social Life: “Al-Farej “In Kingdom of Bahrain
Get PDFFor a long time, Social life in Bahrain was unique and positive. Public Participation and social cooperative with no reference of segregation or discrimination for a long time. Regularly residences were gathering together to discuss the daily life, solving problems, discussing their economic and social issues with a spirit of respecting human rights and civilization. In Bahrain, there were many elements, which were positively in city quality of life. The research problem is that, unfortunately, most of the old part of Manama city, Capital of Bahrain, area suffer from losing the identity by modernization in many forms by urban developing. Consequently, day by day, the social life became different and lost most of noble characteristics of traditional habitual Social life. Bahraini heritage alive in the old area of Manama City, the area needs a node and a reference point for the community to gather in a better-built environment. Therefore, there is an essential need for proposing a solution to revive the brilliant of social life in Kingdom of Bahrain in term of gathering people for cultural events with the economic return to keep the rich history and importance of the area and enhance the environment of the center of Manama. The aim of the research is to propose a solution to solve the missing of social life in the old part of Bahrain by giving guidelines in representing “Al-Farej” in a modern way matching with the modernization of life in Manama
Evaluating Gender Based Behavior in Historical Urban Public Place Case study: Grand Bazaar, Kerman, Iran
No full textThe study evaluates the spatial behaviors of women in urban public place through ‘fear of crime’ and ‘public place functionality’ factors; by using direct observations and questionnaire within the Grand Bazaar as a historical urban public place in the center of Kerman, which is located in the Southwest part of Iran. The study provides a particular perspective to the analysis and understanding of how women make decisions and behave in a spatial setting based on environmental psychology studies. This study applies combinational research methods including qualitative and quantitative approach, including analytical, descriptive, correlation, and logical reasoning methods. This study also conducts direct observation in order to search the strengths and weaknesses of Grand Bazaar as a public place. The results of the study reveal that there is a significant correlation between fear of crime and women’s environmental perception of Grand Bazaar. Furthermore, the research findings indicate that the anxiety of being in less crowded parts of Bazaar is more tangible among women than men. On the other hand, the results show there is a significant correlation between time periods and women’s activities in Grand Bazaar