Potential of using digital tools in terms of urban conservation

Cultural heritage is defined as the whole of the material and spiritual cultural values of a society from the past. These values should not only carry the traces of the past but also be transmitted to future generations to ensure their continuity. Therefore, it is necessary to document cultural heritage as a first step for their conservation and transmission to future generations. As a result of the developing technology, digital documentation methods are started to be used in addition to traditional documentation methods, and the studies carried out with these methods have started a new era in the documentation of cultural heritage. Within the scope of the thesis, digital documentation methods used in urban conservation approaches are explained and how digital documentation methods can be utilized in decision-making processes is investigated. In the study investigating how digital tools can be utilized in urban conservation through fieldwork methodology; the historical bazaar in the Kozan district of Adana was documented using photogrammetric methods, a three-dimensional model of the selected area was created, and this model was transferred into a format that can be experienced through virtual reality glasses. Using the obtained virtual reality model, simulations of three different intervention scenarios that could be carried out in the context of urban conservation in the study area were developed, these simulations were experienced by three different subject groups, and the opinions of the participants were received with the help of a survey on the solution suggestions developed. As a result of the conducted research, it is ascertained that the hybrid method created by combining photogrammetric documentation and virtual reality methods would be beneficial in urban conservation applications, aiding participatory planning and design processes, raising public awareness about conservation, and facilitating the perception of conservation interventions that may be difficult to comprehend through two-dimensional technical drawings using virtual reality methods.