A research on the determination of rural development oriented strategies: Tekirdağ, Saray case

Rural areas are living environments outside of the urban areas where the local economy is generally based on agricultural and forestry activities, where development related to infrastructure is limited, and where living standards are low compared to cities. Rural development approaches have come up with the emergence of the development differences between the countryside and the city over time. Rural development models have been replaced by development approaches based on principles such as locality, participation and totality. Rural settlements differ from urban areas with their natural structures, economies and socio-cultural characteristics. The most important indicator reflecting these differences is the original landscape identification of the settlements. Local identity values, consisting of natural and cultural landscape values, characterize rural areas and form an attractive force. In this sense, rural development approaches that involve planning, implementation and management based on local values of rural areas are very important. With this approach, in the thesis study it is aimed to determine rural development oriented strategies based on the values and local potentials of the rural settlements of Saray District of Tekirdağ province, which has a significant potential with its natural and cultural resource values. In this context, in order to form a base for the landscape identity oriented planning studies; landscape identification cards have been prepared under the headings of natural and artificial identity components, SWOT analyses have been made and rural development oriented strategies have been determined in line with these findings. Interviews with local people, village information forms, visual materials obtained during the field trips, and technical literature of similar topics have been guiding in the study. Results obtained under this study will provide some contributions, for the areas with similar characteristics, such as improvement of the economy in long term in self-sufficient settlements, providing new job opportunities, reducing migrations from rural to urban areas and improving the quality of life in rural settlements. Key Words: Rural Development, Rural Identity, Identity Components 2018, 147 Pages