The role of urban design in urban renewal processes: Case of Söke/ Aydın

In this study, the necessity to build the urban renewal together with the urban design, by evaluating the long established and still ongoing irregular urbanization for years in our country, in a manner specific to the urban renewal concept. It is a reality accepted by different circles that our country couldn't make much progress in the subject of urbanization and the process couldn't be managed much in a desired manner. Limited effect of our existing laws and regulations, especially the Construction Law numbered 3194 and the regulations connected with this law, on the spatial change and transformation has revealed the necessity for including different tools in the process. However, the urban design concept takes the most fundamental and central place among these tools. The works carried out by the Municipality of Söke have been selected as sample so that the rural design concept would be used as an effective tool in the planning process and contribute for directing the process. First of all, the targets have been projected for the district for being a "Sub-center of Aydın Metropolitan Area" in Aydın, Muğla, and Denizli Planning Region, Regional Master Plan scale 1/100.000. On the other hand, solving the social and technical infrastructure and environmental problems must be evaluated primarily together with the existing structural problems so that these targets can be materialized. It has been considered that the solution of the existing problems wouldn't be possible with the approved sub-scale planning decisions. Therefore, the necessity has occurred for using the obtained design concept as a tool directing and controlling a new planning process, by determining the urban design principles and targets. In line with this necessity occurred, specific to the works carried out by the Municipality of Söke, how the urban renewal, design, and planning process is managed has been explained and the suggestions have been developed not only on the problems occurred in this process but also their possible solution ways. Keywords: Söke, urban renewal, urban design