Eco-Urban Approach for Foca Peninsula (Izmir, Turkey)

Abstract

Foca Peninsula is an ecologically and culturally rich region, characterizing the Mediterranean landscape with its rural, urban, coastal areas and islands. It contains forest landscapes, archeological heritages and historical urban areas. This paper examines the potentials of the peninsula as a whole, for the suitability of eco-urban concept. The objectives of the eco-urban approach are: providing clean and efficient energy by using renewable energy resources, improving local economic development by encouraging agricultural activities, preventing emigration by holding the labor force inside the peninsula, increasing regional collaboration, creating a physically and culturally rich center. Considering the concept, this paper aims to create an ‘eco-urban’ that respects the natural system, provides sustainable and modern conditions. This research evaluates Foca Peninsula in the scales of 1/25.000, 1/10.000 and 1/5.000. In these scales, the paper reveals the visions, strategies, plans and designs. As of region analysis, transportation; demography; visual, survey and SWOT analyses and questionnaire with 10 questions, filled by 100 people were performed. As a result, this paper discusses the landscape planning and design outputs according to the eco-urban approach.