The role of rural landscape characters in the preparation of village design statements: the case study of Elmalı, Antalya

Shaped by traditional land use patterns and natural environment and represent most refine examples of cultural landscape, it is important to select right tools to protect the traditional texture and ensure the continuity of rural life in rural landscapes, particularly rural settlements. According to Recent Law Numbered 6360 on Setting Great Municipalities in Fourteen Cities and Twenty-seven Towns rural settlements has become city neighbourhoods. This will remove the legal personality of the villagers and cause the rural settlements to be exposed to urban practices. At this point, the Village Design Statements have the potential as an effective element to avoid the reduction of the most negative effects and the protection of the rural character. The aim of this study was to analyse village design guides with regard to rural landscape characters and landscape scale in Elmalı case, Antalya. Known with its landscape diversity, 51 villages in Elmalı were analysed according to height, location and settlement form; village design guides with settlement, building, parcel and garden features, cultural values were defined in 6 villages of Düden, Armutlu, Yalnızdam, Yılmazlı, Bozhüyük and Gümüşyaka in the light of rural landscape characters. Compiling main layout for the implication of 6360 Law in Elmalı, study results showed that rural characters of land use, landscape pattern, relation with natural environment, culture and traditions, networks, bordering elements, vegetation related to land use, settlements and buildings provide valuable supplementary information for village design guides regarding to protection of characteristics that unique to locality.