Evaluating the role of urban design guidelines for active citystudy of Kuzguncuk district

People changed and transformed their habitat according to their needs. Urbanization was accelerated as a result of migration from rural to urban lands and population increase. Consequently, cities became problem places to live. Goverments and political practices tries to make provisions against this status in both urban planning and legislations. These new urban plans are designed to create healthy places and habitable areas. Problems being witnessed in the urban life has already exceeded conventional issues; while badly affecting city dwellers in cultural, social, psychological and physical health perspectives. The concept of quality in urban areas was discovered as a result of the studies done to solve these problems. Emerging problems in physical and social backgrounds also caused emerging problems in urban space and urban identities. Therefore, notions of urban design, urban design guidelines and urban planning notions had been developed which are the key elements in order to turn thi physical environment into a healthy place. Studies are done and do continue. Discovery and use of urban design and design guides fulfilled the missing connections in urban planning point of view. A sustainable string of planing method was developed in this way, where both connections and solution proposals are existed. In todays situation, it is possible to bring solution based proposals to these problems only when guides are used as tools for urban design practice. In this manner, it has been stated in the study what is the urban design guides and reasons for emergence of active city guides. Therefore, it is stated that active city guides do not only propose solutions for physical issues but moreover it is importance to preserve and lead cities in socio-economically, psychological and physically into healthy status. This study is presented in 5 sections. The first section consist of the method, the purpose and the scope of the study. Urban planning guides are studied in the second section by literature research meanwhile its emerging process, historic background, titles those highlighted in time periods and design guides with respect to other perspectives are presented. On the other hand it has been referred how active living and activity phenomenon is described in guides and the subtitles considered in guides. Urban design, active design and healthy city definitions are highlighted by literature research in the third section. Meanwhile; notions, principles and titles those featured in active design guides are studied with example practices. It has been observed that example studies are agreed on the design perspective and a series of proposals are done regarding the establishment of healthy urban textures for healthy living in the basics. In the forth section, word cloud analysis are presented that has been performed on literature written about Kuzguncuk district the selected subject of this study and featured titles of the district are identified. Secondly, physical and social structure of subjected district has been examined in regards of active design guides highlights. As a result of these two studies, active design proposal elements are designated. Another analysis performed on the subjected area was to identify the preference of the purpose of places in the district by using social media. Finally, user profile of the place, active living conciousness and problems regarding active living have been researched and presented as a result of onsite interviews performed. Eventually, it has been studied with this thessis to create solution proposals for active design guides in addition to classical solutions those proposed by design guides; in order to develop a solution for present problem of inactivity and unhealthy living in cities and enabling the use of whole urban area in an active manner. Also, it is emphasized within the whole about the necessity of using proposed design guides for further design and planning activities. Keywords; Urban Quality, Urban Design Guidelines, Active City, Active Life, Activity