A permaculture-based approach for local sustainable design: The case of Gökçeada in the context of agriculture and tourism

Changing global conditions significantly affect the roles and responsibilities of designers. Sustainable design is no longer a choice but a necessity. Local solutions play a critical role in achieving sustainability. The principles and methods of permaculture design, which are based on creating self-sufficient systems inspired by natural ecosystems, hold potential for ensuring sustainability in local areas with limited resources. This thesis aims to explore how sustainable connections between the agriculture and tourism sectors can be developed using permaculture design methods in the context of sustainable design in Gökçeada, and to identify the obstacles and opportunities for transforming these connections into design. For this purpose, the current state of agricultural and tourism activities in Gökçeada was determined using the element analysis method in permaculture design. Then, the relative location method in permaculture design was used to establish sustainable relationships between agriculture and tourism. Interviews with agricultural and tourism stakeholders in Gökçeada were conducted to identify the obstacles and opportunities for the potential implementation of these relationships in Gökçeada. This study provides an example of how sustainable design can be applied locally in other regions with similar conditions outside of Gökçeada, and how permaculture can guide local design processes. It aims to inspire sustainable development efforts.