Public spaces are the core elements of shaping the social life in the cities, and design of public spaces is a key component of urban design. As tools of inclusive or exclusive design methods of public space vary, user group&rsquo / s publicness increase or decrease relatively. So, who is defined as public for the design of public space is the main concern shaping the built environment. Centers are the peak points of publicness in cities and as a central activity administration is indispensible for every settlement. Hence, in urban life the relation of the public spaces as parks, squares, streets, plazas with administrative places is the descriptive character of that society. Besides, capital cities have accumulated administrative landuses and their design has social, symbolic and cultural meaning as well as functional use. In this study, dimensions of publicness as ownership, control, physical condition, invitingness and welcoming aspect and social animation area discussed and comparative case study put forward these dimensions of Bakanliklar District of Ankara with regard to administrative city centers of Brasilia, Canberra, Islamabad which have similar historical background.

The aim of this study is to survey the construction techniques of the traditional houses in Nevsehir and to make a comprehensive study which will guide for the further conservation works. In this manner, the terms of construction techniques were understood and defined basically before they altered. To achieve this goal, firstly literature reviews were done about traditional houses in Turkey. General characteristics and history of the region as well as Cappadocia traditional houses were studied. The settlements which will be studied were chosen with the comprehensive field surveys. Meanwhile, the base drawings and maps of the settlements were gathered from municipalities and other public organizations of Nevsehir. In detailed field surveys, 20 houses were selected for surveying. After that, general architectural properties of the houses were investigated and measured drawings and sketches were drawn in detail. A code system which is special to this thesis was developed and applied to the drawings. Building parts were analyzed and defined from foundation to roof. Moreover, architectural elements were also described and classified according to their construction technique. In this survey, it is considered not only the construction technique but also the material and usage areas of building units. Frequency of the building units and their classifications can easily be seen on the drawings and tables. Thus, Nevsehir traditional houses were studied in detail and a general evaluation was done about the construction techniques and architectural features of Nevsehir.

ABSTRACT THE ROLE OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN THE MAINTENANCE AND SIMPLE REPAIR PROCESSES OF CULTURAL HERITAGE CASE STUDY: SiVRiHiSAR &Ccedil / eltik Sahlan, Kevser M.S. in Restoration, Department of Architecture Supervisor: Assoc.Prof. Dr. Emre Madran May 2007, 110 pages Turkey has a rich cultural heritage and traditional houses. However, this heritage is under the danger of extinction due to several reasons. On of the most important reason is not being able to make simple repair and maintenance of these buildings. Actually, to leave this heritage to future generations the most effective and low cost method for conserving traditional buildings is the simple repair and maintenance. In Turkey, the responsibility and authority of simple repair and maintenance is delegated to local administrations by the law of Conservation of Cultural and Natural Heritage no 2863 amended by law no 5226. According to this law Conservation Implementation Control and Education Bureaus (KUDEB) is the responsible organ in municipalities for simple repair and maintenance. In this thesis, in the light of current regulations KUDEB&amp / #8217 / s tasks in simple repair and maintenance together with functioning points. Later, a model was proposed regarding the functioning and financing of simple repair and maintenance in order to fill these missing points. Moreover, these proposals were tested in Sivrihisar scale and illustrated on the facades of Sivrihisar Houses.

This thesis examines the role of politics in transformation of urban spaces. In this regard, the main focus is Berlin because the city represents how politics of each era is effective in urban development processes: Once a divided city after the World War II where Berlin manifested both parties&rsquo / ideological sentience and related urban strategies, the city soon came under successive transformations in accordance with the expectations of the new regime upon its re-unification. In this framework, by studying the Alexanderplatz Project as an example, the thesis questions the urban space policies of the East Berlin as socialist and the West Berlin as capitalist during the division years / the political transformation of the East Berlin after the fall of Berlin Wall / and the current conditions of East Berlin after re-unification. Here the aim of this study is to understand the different systems of urban space under the pressure of socialist and capitalist ideologies. Through the spatial analyses of the former East and West Berlin and through the comparative analyses of East Berlin in its transformation years the study intends to decipher how such successive changes took place and became operative under different regimes. Alexanderplatz is regarded as a unique example with which urban transformation is in accordance with changes in the political system.

Design control is a relevant concept for any age and any context of urban development by use of many varying tools from highly prescriptive ones to flexible guidance in order to control design of urban space and places. Production of clear definitions and types for the tools is critical for effective use of the design tools to guide and code the urban design. Distinctive parameters for the definitions and types of the design control tools are scale of intervention, level of prescription and contents and component of the tool. In this thesis, design control tools including design guides, briefs, frameworks and design codes are analysed in terms of this parameters, in order to reach the aim of the thesis which is building taxonomy of design control tools and taxonomy of their contents and components by analysing contemporary design control tools.

Recent researches on campus learning environments present that there is a seeking for alternative learning spaces among students. Researches argue that more learning is taking place outside of class time than ever before. With an increased emphasis on collaboration and group projects, students are learning in small groups outside of the classrooms as they accomplish work related to their courses. Literature defines these experiences as &lsquo / informal learning&rsquo / . Therewithal, campus open spaces are one of the major areas where students prefer for their informal learning experiences. This thesis aims to search the influence of campus open space design on students&rsquo / learning experiences. Additionally, it argues that there is a strong relation between the learning and the space where learning action occurs. In doing this, it both covers a theoretical framework and a case study. Within the theoretical part, it discusses various learning theories with respect to the prominent principles for each theory. It reveals learning space design indicators which affects learning both in indoor and outdoor learning environments. In the case study, with the analysis of different sample areas from METU campus, the study both investigates the learning experiences actualized on campus open spaces and the triggering design indicators which enhance these experiences.

Since the industrial revolution, technological developments and increased population have caused environmental damages such as lavish use of sources, pollution increased waste areas, poisoned wastes, harmless gasses, decreased green areas, global warming and climate change, harming of the ozone layer, decreased forests areas and natural sources. Appearance of the term of Global Warming makes the humanity to revise their facilities in all fields. To protect the nature and architectural environment, firstly, green architecture, ecological architecture and then sustainability occurred. This term has been proposed not to be a new term but a response to environmental disturbances caused by human activities and it is re-conceptualization of architecture. Sustainable architecture or sustainability is lot more extensive than ecological and green architecture. It contains the imbalance between environmental problems which is natural environment and consumption that occurred all around the world. An important part of sustainability debate focused on urban planning and design for more sustainable forms and patterns. In particular it is discussed that planning and design of urban areas have a major effect on transport and therefore can help reduce car usage, emissions, global warming and climate change. There are many planning and design approaches and movement that introduce certain criteria and strategies to prevent car dependency and encourage people to use public transportation and walking. To achieve sustainable transport, there should be design for walkable and easy accessible areas. Planning movements, such as New Urbanism and Transit Oriented Development, particularly came to the forefront of planning and influenced planning approaches. However, when review the literature, it is seen that planning movements, such as New Urbanism and Transit Oriented Development originated and were implemented mostly in West Europeean and North American Cities. The purpose of this study is to find out whether all those criteria, principles and strategies are also relevant planning approaches for more non-western cities like Baku which has a very different planning background and therefore possibly different urban form and tranmsport issues. In order to answer the abovementioned question, planning and design approaches in the literatureand and in these recent planning movements were studied and a check list was formed which indicate planning and design approaches that can help attain a more sustainable transport outcome. The checklist was then applied to the case of Baku.

Urban archaeological sites are important traces of history in the cities and should be conserved for the next generations with their values. For their survival in the urban context it is essential to integrate them to the current urban context they exist in. In this study, four urban archaeological sites in Ulus, Ankara are analyzed for understanding their states of integration by constructing an analysis method. In this process the conceptual frame and methodology offered by the APPEAR Project were regarded as basic tools. Within this scope, firstly a general overview is put forward about the APPEAR Method, Ankara and Roman Remains in Ulus with also discussing the current legal framework in Turkey. Afterwards the analysis is done on the archaeological sites / Roman Baths Open Air Museum, Cardo Maximus, Augustus and Roma Temple and Roman Theatre. Finally the fundamental principles and options are put forward for these Roman remains&rsquo / integration in the current urban context. The analysis conducted on the four urban archaeological sites reveal that the Roman remains in Ulus are not integrated with their current urban context This situation is threatening their survival while causing problems both for the v remains themselves and the city. The study while defining basic principles for the sites&rsquo / integration it also puts forward three fundamental concepts that should guide the enhancement projects. These are: Accessibility, Visibility and Intelligibility which are regarded as the tools for strengthening the contextual unity of the sites and their integration in the urban context.

Public spaces play essential roles in urban life for the city, the public and individuals, by setting strong relations between urban space and social and cultural values. Public spaces and their essential components have multi-dimensional impacts on people. Public art, as a constituent of public space, includes a wide range of artworks, activities and outcomes, contributing to the significance of the places in a variety of ways. However, each culture, country and city, has diverse policies and outcomes of public art based on different perspectives. Focusing on the public art policies in Ankara over the last two decades, this thesis seeks to examine how far the recent policies have contributed to the city. By carrying out in-depth investigation on the public art work interventions and policies of the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, the thesis assesses the multi-dimensional contributions of these policies and interventions. It seeks to discuss how far the public artwork policies of localities are crucial for creating genuine public spaces of cities.

This particular study is about the main boulevard of the city center of Tirana that is the capital of Albania since 1920. The main boulevard, which has a function of a &quot / spine&quot / of the central business district, was designed as an idea by the Italian architects in 1925. The new government needed immediately governmental buildings like minstries, a palace and a strong form that connects all of these facilities together in a monumental way. This &quot / spinal&quot / circulation system was inspired from the urban movements of that time like near city and city beautiful movement. Tirana is studied as the case by the light of historical developments of other cities. The power of the spine and its effect to the macro form of the whole city is analyzed and determined.