Conservations and Rehabilitation in Historical Urban Centres: Halit and Gaziosmanpasa 22nd Streets, Tokat, Turkey

Abstract

Historical and traditional urban fabrics located at historical urban centres carry on with their existence as slum areas of cities due to economic, physical and functional aging. In Turkey, efforts to conserve historical and traditional urban fabrics and to solve their problems have increased in recent years. These efforts are mostly supported by local governments, and are exemplified by such implementations as urban renewal projects, and street and façade rehabilitations. However, these implementations are carried out to a large extent on a singular basis, lacking in multi-dimensional, holistic approach. Nevertheless, conservation and problems of historical environments have multiple spatial, cultural, social, and economic dimensions. This article addresses conservation and its problems, together with their spatial, socio-economic, cultural, and legal dimensions, by the example of the rehabilitation project undertaken on Halit and Gaziosmanpaşa 22nd streets located in the historical urban centre of Tokat, and introduces solutions to conservation with respect to strategies developed specifically for this area. In conclusion a general evaluation of the success of the case study with its background and applicability of this concept to Turkish housing, which is used by middle-class has been discussed.