Urban regeneration process of Eskisehir/Turkey in the context of sustainable development

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to put stress on the importance and necessity of urban regeneration for sustainable development of cities. The concept of urban regeneration is undertaken as an integrated process for environmental, social and economic development of urban areas. For this aim, urban regeneration process in Eskisehir is explained via examples of implementations undertaken in different parts of the city. Eskisehir is one of the earliest and most industrialized cities in a developing country, Turkey. The urban regeneration examples explored in the scope of this paper are pioneer studies not only for conservation and revitalization of natural, industrial and historical heritage of the city, but also for the country. In spite of being parallel strands of urban policy of many countries, greater emphasis is given to achieving urban regeneration, especially in economical terms, rather than to sustainability. However, it should be considered that all urban regeneration examples contribute to sustainable development through the recycling of derelict land and buildings, reducing demand for peripheral development and facilitating the development of more compact cities (Urban Task Force, 2005). After examining the urban regeneration studies implemented in natural, industrial and historical heritage sites of the city in the context of environmental, social and economic sustainability; the paper discusses the achievements and the deficiencies of the studies in local and regional scales. The authors put stress on the leading role of local government in providing integrated approaches to land management policies and sustainable urban development.