Urban citizens' rights in the context of urban regeneration: The Case of Samsun-Canik Kuzey Yıldızı Urban Regeneration Project

The rapid urbanization processes in the world and in Turkiye have led to the emergence of numerous complex urban problems. One of the approaches proposed to address these urban issues from the perspective of "rights" is urban citizens' rights. Urban citizens' rights encompass many rights arising from living in the city and contribute to policy-making processes. Urban regeneration, by contributing to the process of living in safer, healthier, and higher-quality conditions, directly impacts urban citizens' rights. Studies on urban regeneration based on urban citizens' rights are quite limited. In this study, which addresses these two important variables together, the aim is to examine Urban regeneration practices in the context of urban citizens' rights. The study is structured around whether the principles and values of urban citizens' rights can create a more holistic approach in the policy-making process for urban regeneration. The research area is the "North Star Urban Regeneration Project," which is considered the largest urban regeneration project in the Black Sea Region, located in the Canik District of Samsun Province. The research method used is a mixed-method approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative data. Data collection tools include surveys, semi-structured interviews, observation, and archive-document review techniques. The collected data have been transferred into the text and interpreted using frequency and proportional distribution, along with descriptive analysis. The study found that urban regeneration has both positive and negative effects on sixteen different urban citizens' rights variables. In particular, more positive results were obtained about "transportation", "education", "housing", "health", "development and improvement of physical structure", "utilization of infrastructure and public services", "economic development and harmonious development", "urban security and crime prevention", "urban management and planning", while more negative results were obtained about "sports and leisure time evaluation", "socio-economic rights for the disabled", "participation" and "culture". In addition, both positive and negative results were obtained in terms of "environment and nature", "equality and non-discrimination" and "obtaining information". In light of the research findings, it was concluded that a more holistic regeneration practice could be created by strengthening the social aspect of urban regeneration, which could have significant effects and contributions for urban citizens' rights.