Ayşe Sema Kubat  ITU Istanbul Technical University

MORPHOGENETIC SURVEY ON THE TRANSFORMATION OF A POLITICAL CENTER TO A TRANSPORTATION HUB: TAKSIM & GEZI PARK, ISTANBUL

The presentation aims to contribute to further the knowledge about design/planning interventions in central public spaces and how these may affect on the morphological structure of a city through movement and vitality. This presentation provides a comparative analysis through a quantitative method, of a major urban design intervention that was implemented in Taksim Square in İstanbul.Taksim Square and Gezi Park, have been one of the unique places to study social and spatial layout change throughout the history. Taksim as a political and social beating heart of Istanbul, it has been the subject of a never-ending cycle about urban design decisions. Currently the underground tunnel system is open to traffic and pedestrianized Taksim square, which is a vast concrete space awaits for an urban design project since 2013. In March 2020, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, declared a contest for an urban design project in Taksim. Between 146 applications, only 3 projects were allocated design equivalent awards. These three projects are unique in their space production with different urban design solutions. The question is; would it be possible to change the fate of the square and its close environment with the proposals of the winner project, and how about the other two in this manner?