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Adalar Urban Design Guideline
Adalar / Istanbul
An “Ecology-Oriented Urban Design
Guideline” study covering five islands:
Büyükada, Heybeliada, Burgazada,
Kınalıada, and Sedef Island.
The guideline consists of two volumes:
■ Book I – Analytical Studies and
Synthesis
■ Book II – Urban Design Guideline Model
and Content
The Adalar Urban Design Guideline was
developed as an integral part of the
“1/1000 Scale Conservation-Oriented
Implementation Zoning Plan for the
Adalar District.”

The primary reason for preparing the
Süleymaniye Urban Design Guideline
is to resolve the long-standing issue
of lack of continuity in planning within
the area. One of the main objectives
is to establish a conservation-oriented
framework that ensures harmony
between new constructions and
the historically significant timber
buildings representing the urban fabric.
The guideline aims to act as a bridge
between preservation and development,
offering a structured and context-sensitive
approach to guide future interventions in
Süleymaniye.
The Süleymaniye Urban Design Guideline
has been developed with the following
objectives:
■ To establish a well-organized and
healthy urban environment by considering
conservation, urbanization, and urban
aesthetics goals,
■ To ensure coordination between the
1/5000 conservation master plan draft,
prepared as part of the broader project
scope, and the future 1/1000 conservation
implementation plan,
■ To maintain consistency and continuity
of decisions through strategies across
scales,
■ To develop strategies and regulations
that guide implementation in areas where
conventional plan techniques and zoning
notes fall short,
■ To organize and align Süleymaniye’s
socio-economic life with spatial uses at
the level of urban organization,
■ To provide a general framework for
all ongoing and future implementation,
project, competition and similar processes,
especially by forming principle-based
decisions for the renewal area declared by
the Council of Ministers (decision dated
24.05.2006, No: 2006/10501),
■ To function not only as a spatial guide
but also as a living guide formed through
collective consensus and regulatory decisions,
■ To develop principled approaches that
maintain the balance between conservation
and use, in consideration of the area’s status
as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, declared
a Historic and Urban Site Area by the Istanbul
No. 1 Cultural Heritage Preservation Board
(Decision dated 12.07.1995, No: 6848).
The design approaches of the Süleymaniye
Urban Design Guideline are evaluated under
four main categories.

1. IN TERMS OF SCALING:
   Within the scope of the guideline, specific
   rules that will guide plan implementation
   provisions are defined at a principled level
   and proposed across three different scales.
   While some rules may be general principles
   applicable throughout the entire area, areaspecific decisions can also be developed
   based on synthesis and character zoning.
   In addition, distinctive points within the site
   that hold unique qualities may require custom
   design rules and principles tailored to those
   locations.
2. IN TERMS OF PRINCIPLES:
   When evaluated within the overall scope
   of the project, the urban design guideline
   has been developed around the following
   principles:

• Sustainability and energy efficiency
• Continuity of historical identity
• Livability of public spaces
• Ease of movement
• Legibility and preservation of historical
  layers
• Design in harmony with environment and
  processes
• Diversity and flexibility
• Transitional settlements

1. IN TERMS OF THEMES DERIVED FROM
   SPATIAL CHARACTERISTICS:
   Within the study area, spatial features have
   given rise to several distinct themes. These
   are addressed under four main categories:

• Functional Areas
• Transportation and Public Spaces
• Conservation
• Special Zones

1. IN TERMS OF PRIORITY ISSUES:
   Based on spatial, social, and economic
   analyses conducted in the area, certain
   problems and potentials have been
   prioritized. These priorities bring a unique
   perspective to the approach of the urban
   design guideline:

• University and Waterfront Relationship
• Goods Handling / Loading and Unloading
• Parking Issues
• Waterfront Continuity and Its Relationship
  with the Study Area
• Renewal Area Status and Demolitions
• Urban Transformation Pressure
• Functional Conversion Pressure
• World Heritage Site
• Future of Manufacturing Industry in the
  Area
• Informal Elements
• Storage Areas
• Green Spaces and Their Integration into
  Urban Fabric
• Trees
• Historical Buildings and Deterioration
• Resilience
• Protection of the Skyline
• Housing