Urban transformation in medium-sized cities: satisfaction in the example of Uşak (Atapark and Tabakhane)

Urban transformation efforts, which began to be seen in the world after the Industrial Revolution, started with the slum settlement process in Turkey after the 1950s. In the 1980s, cooperatives and apartment buildings were seen in cities within the scope of neoliberal policies. After the 1999 Marmara Earthquake, earthquake-resistant housing production policies came to the fore. After 2000, with the impact of globalization and developments in technology, an increase in the transformations in urban areas has been observed. Urban transformation works are increasing exponentially every year in all cities, especially in large-scale cities where industrialization is intense. Urban transformation works that deeply affect the entire city are carried out by many private institutions as well as state policy. Within the scope of the Law No. 6306 on the Transformation of Areas Under Disaster Risk, which came into force in 2012, important powers were given to local governments and many projects were paved for the renewal of the housing stock. With the increase in industrialization and employment, growth and development are increasing day by day in cities where industrialization is intense. Secondary cities, which are behind these, are defined as medium-sized cities that are less developed than large cities and are ahead of smaller cities. In Turkey, especially after the fifth five-year development plan, urban development efforts for these cities have been increased in order to eliminate regional inequalities and support the development of medium-sized cities. In order for these cities to move forward, support is provided, especially to clean the collapsed areas within them and bring them back to the city. Uşak, which we can call among medium-sized cities, has hosted many important civilizations throughout history. Uşak, known as the city of firsts, where electricity was used for street lighting for the first time in the Ottoman Period, had the first railway line in Anatolia, and where the first sugar factory was established in the Republican Era, also has an important place in the industrial area. With the development of the industry, the establishment of the university and the increasing population, the need for housing in the city has increased. Many studies have been undertaken to renew the housing stock within the scope of Law No. 6306. Within the scope of the study, two different areas were examined: Atapark Urban Transformation Zone and Eski Tabakhane Urban Transformation Zone, located in the city center of Uşak. The transformation works carried out in the Old Tabakhane Urban Transformation area, carried out in cooperation with TOKİ and Uşak Municipality, are a first in Turkey as a project of transforming an industrial area into a residential area and set an example for subsequent projects. Field research was conducted on urban transformation projects carried out by different transformation providers in Uşak city center and the differences between the satisfaction levels of city residents were examined.