UNDERSTANDING THE FEVZI ÇAKMAK NEIGHBORHOOD: THROUGH ITS PAST, PRESENT AND PLANNED TOMORROW

Abstract

Mahalle is a place name derived from the Arabic roots halel and hulul, meaning “to land, to settle down” (Turkish Dictionary, 1998). In addition to the residential structures within a neighborhood, it has a mosque, primary school, fountain, baths, a grocery store, bakery, parks, etc. It is the smallest settlement in a city. On the other hand, socially a neighborhood refers to a community that is placed somewhere and has organizational relationships. The neighborhood phenomenon is one of the most important legacies that continue from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic. During the Republican period, many new neighborhoods have also been established, often formed by adhering to a plan. In this study, the formation of Fevzi Çakmak neighborhood, one of the neighborhoods designed according to the Kayseri ARU-Oelsner (1945) zoning plan, and the change that the neighborhood has undergone from the past to the present will be examined. According to the data obtained, the aim of the Kayseri ARU-Oelsner zoning plan is to contribute to the Urban Transformation Project of Fevzi Çakmak neighborhood, which will be planned by the local government in the future. Literature and field studies, document analysis and oral history studies will be used as methods in the study. In this context, maps belonging to the neighborhood, zoning plans, Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality and Kocasinan Municipality archive records and old photographs will be provided. The Fevzi Çakmak neighborhood, which was built in the 1960s, has a grid plan type and is one of the modern neighborhoods that have contributed to the development of the city in an east direction. A city analysis will be carried out in historical continuity from the establishment of Fevzi Çakmak neighborhood to the present day. It is believed that detecting interventions in significant areas of change/transformation of the neighborhood will make significant contributions to the future urban transformation project. Accordingly, it is proposed that the analysis to be conducted in the neighborhood be evaluated within a theoretical framework which is known in Urban Planning as “we-zoning and Hoyt classification”. Accordingly, the areas identified in the neighborhood in the present study will be evaluated within the scope of “protection”, “correction” (improvement) and “renewal” strategies. It is expected that this work, carried out in the Kayseri Fevzi Çakmak neighborhood, will contribute to urban planning and transformation projects and architectural discussions throughout the country.