PLANLAMA-PLANNING, vol.25, no.2, pp.93-106, 2015 (ESCI)
The Marmara earthquake in 1999 brought urban regeneration up for discussion. Regenerative activities were accelerated by a law that went into effect in 2012 (Law No. 6306) addressing risky urban areas, particularly in Istanbul. Due to these activities, not only have city centers lost their functions and been destroyed in several ways, areas surrounding the city that were only included in the 1990s have been regenerated due to unhealthy conditions. While the purpose of urban regeneration is to increase quality of life by decreasing urban risks, it is believed that current projects are used as tools for land development. For instance, within the framework of the law, upsizing the development rights of parcels may encourage investors, while currently insufficient public health and educational facilities, and urban services including cultural and recreational facilities may be neglected despite a rising population. Furthermore, facilities may be subjected to functional transformation, yielding functions like residential and commercial units. Thus, doubts regarding plans to regenerate have been raised, with concerns that such efforts will reduce rather than improve quality of life, increasing the risk of social disasters while attempting to reduce the risks of natural disasters. It is argued in the present report that analysis of urban quality of life to determine social and physical requirements should precede the initiation of urban regeneration projects. Proposed within this context is a method of analysis supported by 81 qualitative and quantitative indicators of the intersection of urban quality of life and urban regeneration. Current levels of quality of life are identified in the light of spatial values and personal assessments. Popular perceptions and expectations of urban transformation were questioned, and levels of satisfaction were determined based on sample applications. The proposed method of analysis was used in the Atasehir Barbaros neighborhood in an effort to contribute to the production of effective and sustainable urban regeneration projects.