Interaction of life quality in townscape with urban memory and concept of place: Case of Duzce city

Townscape involves both physical spaces and the genius loci within urban settlements. When an evaluation is carried out regarding the landscaping of a city; the coherence of such city, formed along with quality of life, its memory and its character as well as the relations between such aspects should be dissected. Triangulation, which is a multi-data gathering tool that includes observations, interview and substantive examination, has been chosen as the method of data gathering for this thesis, which aimed to study the interaction of the concepts of `urban memory? and `place? within the context of urban landscaping and quality of life, through the urban structure of Düzce city. Secondary data analysis, which is one of the methods of substantive examination, and observations for obtaining imaginary data regarding the townscape have been utilized, and oral interviews for the determination of urban life quality, as well as the concepts of place, memory and image have been conducted with the administers of the city, experts and the residents, who are amongst the beneficiaries of urban planning. In order to evaluate the data that was acquired as the result of the oral interviews; softwares such as SPSS 17.0, LISREL, AUTOCAD 2007 and PHOTOSHOP CS2 have been used. With the findings that have been accumulated; it has been planned to compile a model in order to take decisions that would provide the sustainability of a developing city. In order to test the hypothesis that were compiled in the line of the before mentioned goals; the structural equation model has been formed. At the conclusion of this thesis based on the tests of the hypothesis, an approach which may also stand as an example for other cities, has been presented. What is desired to be reached by this model is a pattern of a city, which is built on its own economical growth, without severing the integrity coming from its past within its own process of change in physical and social aspects. In order to create the indicated pattern; the physical, social and economical observations have been interpreted; thus suggestions have been attempted to be developed in order to solve the ever changing current needs of the city and its residents.