Examination of placemaking principles in formation of urban aesthetics with particular reference to comparison of cities of Koblenz and İzmir

The concept of ?placemaking? and the fact that aesthetic values influences ourcities have to be considered important in urbanization practice. However, when thecurrent conditions of cities are evaluated, it can seen that ?placemaking principles?do not influence the urbanization process and that aesthetic values in design processare being neglected in our cities. These forgotten principles and lack of sensitiveapproaches harms the urban image, city identy and creates spaces lacking urbanquality. Consequently with the help of different experiences of the developed and thedeveloping countries, achievements of these ?placemaking principles? andmethodology needs to be evaluated.Two cities from two different countries have been designated as case areas withinthe context of the thesis. With the acceptation that both countries have differentexperiences, local conditions, planning processes and different values of both casesare evaluated as unique and independent cases. Within this methodology, both cities?placemaking and urban aesthetic experiences are debated within their own whole andtheir mechanisms are analyzed. In this way, the differences between presentexperiences and the principles resulting from different urban formation can be seen.Social, economic and public characteristics, legal and administrative grounds, andlocal strategies have been evaluated after these arguments. The urbanizationprocesses, city planning practices and existing institutions have been analyzed andthe differences between the developed and the developing countries are questioned.Consequently, some ambiguous points are revealed about the reflections of socialvalues and social aesthetic perceptions on urban spaces and spatial practice.