Neighborhood from Cul-De- Sac to Gated Community in Turkish Urban Culture: The “Fina”

Abstract

In this study, the closed neighborhood was discussed in gated communities and in cul-de-sacs by focusing on public and private concepts, rights and regulations in Turkish urban culture. The study aims to enlighten old concepts such as “close neighborhood,” “gated community,” and “cul-de-sac” with a new approach in order to understand whether planned and modern gated communities contain the same aspects of traditional Turkish cul-de-sacs – part of the “fina” concept. According to tradition and culture, the concept of fina is a kind of usage of public space as if it were private. In the modern age, gated communities have created new life styles, spaces and boundaries with their advantages and disadvantages all over the world. The gated community may be called an “architecture of fear,” namely fear of the neighbors, fear of theft, fear of the one living outside the gates. On the other hand, cul-de-sacs are derived from friendships and family relations – namely, being friends with relatives, neighbors and nature. Gated communities and cul-de-sacs are both created by making public space – belonging to all citizens – into private/semi-private space belonging to only a special community. A comparative method is used between gated communities and cul-de-sacs in order to understand whether the legalization of using public space in private ways creates benefits to society as a whole or not. The result expected from this study is not only to determine the similarities and differences pertaining to cul-de-sacs and gated communities but also to reveal the positive values generated or existing in these two living areas and provide feedback with the potential of reflecting each other.