A heritage management model proposal for the integrated conservation of cultural heritage: Case of Ordu historical city center

Historical cities are important cultural heritage areas carrying the traces of past civilizations to the present day, shedding light on human history, are indispensable for social memory, and are worth protecting. Since the spread of industrialization after 1950s in Turkey, urbanization pressures due to rapid population increase with ongoing migrations from rural to urban, had been causing corruptive transformations in the historic city centers of the rapidly growing cities. In this sense, urban and architectural conservation processes are critically important for the sustainability of the city's cultural and historical identity. Some important steps have been taken so far in the field of conservation in Turkey, but the concept of heritage management is in progress and management plans have not yet been put into action as common as they should be, to overcome the implementation problems in the historic urban areas. It is thought that these problems arise primarily due to the lack of an integrated heritage management system parallel to a legal framework covering conservation plan, urban and architectural conservation and coordinating all stakeholders in this regard. This can be achieved not only by conservation management plans, but also by setting high-level policies and coordination of implementation processes. Ordu Historic Urban Site, which is an important area reflecting the historic urban identity of the city, is selected as the study area of the thesis. In the first chapter, the subject, the problem definitions, the objectives, and the methods of the study are explained. In the second chapter, history and theory of conservation, conservation planning and related legislation in Turkey are examined. In the third chapter, the heritage management and management plan concepts are examined, including related international guides set by global conservation institutions and the legal framework on heritage management in Turkey. Besides, selected successful historical cities from around the World and from Turkey and their heritage management systems are examined. In the fourth chapter, Ordu Historic Urban Site is analyzed phsically, socioeconomically, administravely and organizationally, legally, and financially in terms of conservation and management. In this section, general information about Ordu historic city center and the historic urban site defined as the study area are searched in terms of the historical development of the city. The previous planning activities and conservation studies, as well as the current physical characteristics are examined depending on the detailed site analysis. Then, socioeconomical features of the study area is analyzed and put forward, based on the social survey study. Administrative and organizational aspects together with financial resources and tools are examined depending on the information provided with the semi-structured interviews with the two local authorities responsible in the area. In the fifth chapter, depending on the analysis, the evaluation of Ordu Historic Urban Site to develop a heritage management plan and model is done through a SWOT study, defining values, problems, opportunities, and threats. In the sixth chapter, a heritage management model and plan are proposed for Ordu Historic Urban Site is developed defining the themes, goals and actions for an integrated and sustainable conservation, followed by additional suggestions for a user-oriented management model proposal and a database model proposal. The management model proposal aims to create a framework, guiding a more succesful conservation process preventing the losses in the historic urban sites within the growing medium-sized Anatolian cities, especially in the same Black Sea region. In the seventh and last chapter, major findings are put forward and proposals are discussed briefly as the conclusion.