A habitant-focused approach to the concept of eco-city at industrialized cities with a rural city character (Bartın-Karabük) Turkey sample

Abstract

The cities -that host architectural textures, environmental conditions and social relations within a whole- are the places where the culture of the country is reflected in the best manner. Today's mega cities, which compose by continuously receiving migration from rural areas, cause destructions -that is hard to be recovered- by significantly ruining the nature and natural sources with their unplanned configuration and causes. This condition leads to the destruction of environment and the environment looses its ability renewal. Today human, that has realized the consumption of natural sources by it, has started to carry out operations for establishing eco-cities which preserve the permanence of natural sources. In the study the approaches of people -living in the cities of Bartin and Karabuk located in the region of Western Black Sea- to the concept of eco-city have been examined. The study consists of evaluation phases regarding (i) socio-demographical characteristics of habitants and their demands intended for the concept of eco-city planning and (ii) the expectations of habitants from the concept of eco-city. Within this scope an inquiry has been made with 360 habitants as having 180 individuals in each city. According to the correlation analysis made for the results of inquiry, it has been determined that the habitants are aware of the eco-city concept (r = 0.122*), that they did not want the character of rural city to convert to industrial city (r = -0.436**), that it is required for Turkey to shift to the eco-city model (r = -0.114*) and that they want to live in an ecological city (r = -0.270**). Consequently the approach of the habitants of rural cities to the concept of eco-city, their viewpoints regarding eco-cities, their expectations from eco-cities and their awareness regarding eco-city have been revealed and recommendations intended for the methods of sustainable urban development have been developed. © 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.