Urban conservation and development strategies for sustainable historical heritage in Tarakli

Historical environments reflect social, cultural and economic structures, life styles and philosophy of past civilizations. Also, they express these accumulations due to the accuracy in the relationship between nature and building, man and building. Historical settlements and historical urban fabrics represent where special areas that reflect urban memory. Historic towns and historic buildings are important witnesses of the past cultures and civilizations.Built enviroment without planning due to rapid urbanization and population growth, leads to the damage of the historical environment, even to its destruction. Therefore, it is an inevitable fact that the revalorization is becoming more important tool besides restoration and conservation activities in historical environment.Within the framework of this study, first of all, the concepts of historical environment, historical urban tissue and awareness of historical environment have been explained. Thus, it?s been underlined with reasons that the revalorization of history and the revival of life within these historical places are important.The objective of this study is determination of urban conservation and development strategies for sustainability of historical fabric in Taraklı.In this respect, historical settlement with traditional timber framed houses of Taraklı in Sakarya has been chosen as the case study, on account of being one of the significant historical towns in our country where the tissue together with historical elements is still conserved. Taraklı is an important city center being cultural center of Byzantine and Ottoman civilizations and transmitting historical traces with traditional architecture samples from the past to these days. In this concept, by means of datas related to research area, existing urban fabric and problems have been determined and presented suggestions related to urban design and urban landscape design to realize harmony of traditional fabric and to improve socio-cultural life in the region.Key words: Historical environment, urban conservation, urban design, sustainability, TaraklıScience Code: 502.11.01