A method proposal in determining rural neighborhoods: The example of Pamukkale district

Within the borders of metropolitan municipalities villages and town municipalities turned into neighborhoods and the countryside was lost within the city after Law No. 6360. Later, in 2020, the Metropolitan Municipality Law was amended and the concept of Rural Neighborhood was included in the legislation. Then, the Rural Neighborhood and Rural Settlement Area Regulation was published to describe the application. In the thesis research, it was aimed to develop a method for determining the rural area within the borders of metropolitan municipalities in accordance with the Regulation. In the second section, the concept of rural area and its legislation were examined. In the third section, the relevant council decisions that reveal the attitudes and needs of metropolitan municipalities regarding rural areas after the Regulation were examined. In the last section, the application of the proposed method was made in the selected sample area. There is no council decision regarding the determination of rural areas in 4 metropolitan municipalities. Denizli Metropolitan Municipality is one of these municipalities. Pamukkale District, which is the district with the highest population density within the borders of Denizli Province, was also selected as a sample area for the thesis research. First, the neighborhoods to be evaluated within the scope of rural were determined. Then, the main headings and the relevant numerical indicator set were created within the framework of the Regulation. As a result, an evaluation table was created out of 100 points, which determined the rurality levels of the neighborhoods. The points were adjusted to increase as rurality increased. Tables were considered together with maps in a way that would allow comparison. The resulting tables and maps were designed in a way that municipalities could interpret within the framework of their own visions. The research findings showed that the rurality degrees of the neighborhoods predicted to be rural were also high, but the neighborhoods that could be controversial presented a fragmented structure within their own regions. The study concluded that determining rural boundaries alone is not sufficient. Results should be supported by changes to be made in approved zoning plans and interpreted together with other area-specific data. Keywords: Rural, Law No. 6360, Regulation, Metropolitan Municipality Council Decision, Boundary, Denizli.