Fourteenth International Conference on The Constructed Environment

Abstract

The peripheries of cities are critical regarding the built environment-natural environment relationship. Especially in cities that do not fit within their borders, such as Istanbul, the periphery and those on the periphery are vital. As the city grows, it moves towards the periphery, towards nature, with various leaps and gradually swallows the countryside and greenery. There are multiple reasons why this happens. The first of these is that people who want to get away from the dense texture and chaos of the city are looking for a more peaceful and healthy living environment, and this search is encouraged by housing producers. Working in the city and living in the green surroundings is an attractive prospect. Unfortunately, this understanding threatens the urban periphery’s forests, water basins, and rural agricultural areas. In this study, the Ömerli region, located at the urban/rural intersection in Istanbul, is examined from this perspective. What consequences do pushing residential areas and other urban instruments to the periphery have in terms of life, nature, and human interaction? Or what potential does this situation hold? With the analyses carried out within the scope of the study, different aspects of the settlement-nature relationship in the periphery are revealed through the Ömerli Region. These different faces are systematized through sequences, and the findings are evaluated with their positive and negative aspects for the future in the context of sustainability. The results of this study have significant consequences for the city’s future planning.