An evaluation of user opinions about sustainable revitalization of historic urban quarters: Bursa-Han district as a case

Historic urban quarters are important areas, which show the cultural and historical qualities of the city. Factors such as population growth, the rapid development of cities and globalization have also influenced the historic environment. These transformations without any comprehensive planning have led to the deterioration of the historic pattern. It is thought that the chaos in the existing historic environment has occurred as a result of lack in planning. Therefore, it is important that each planning in the historic urban quarters includes environmental, social, economic and organizational data of the city in a holistic way. Consideration of all data in the process of revitalization of the historic environment is important to ensure the sustainability of these areas. Examination of the urban fabric, determination of the physical and natural wealth of the city and determination of ideas on how to transfer them to the future are important for the environmental dimensions. In the social dimensions, it is required ensuring the rights of urban and regional users such as equality, justice and providing of social facilities and activities. Identifying and developing the economic dynamics of the city and region are important in the economic dimensions. In the organizational/administrative dimensions, it is needed acting together in all administrative units of the city. After a review of the existing studies in the historic urban quarters, it has been found out that there is no adequate user oriented research. In this context, this study focuses on the users and participatory approach, top down and bottom up approaches are examined. Three examples of sustainable revitalization of historic urban quarters have been selected. The first example is Brazil - Viva o Centre program which is featured on user participation. The second example is Spain - Ciutat Vella District which won the award about revitalization. The last example is England Manchester City Centre Plan, which had explosion destruction and a major transformation. In these three examples, it is seen that the city's environmental, social, economic and organizational data has handled together and user participation has ensured. User's city perception is a process that occurs within time, experiences and information about the city. Cognitive mapping is used to determine the image for the city. The cognitive mapping studies are examined and it is seen that this method is important for achieving the user's thoughts about the area. By analyzing the studies, it is seen that the user opinions has not been considered adequately. It is thought that user opinions will be an important data for sustainable revitalization of historic urban quarters. In order to see if user opinions create data for sustainable revitalization of historic urban quarters or not and see how these data can be used, a field study has been done. Selected area is Khans Area -the historic core of the city of Bursa- which has very rich historical, natural and cultural value. The historical city center became complex because of non-holistic plannings, unplanned construction and different applications which were carried out by administrative units during different periods. There are many studies about this area however, it has been noted that there is not efficient evaluation of user opinions in these studies. After the literature review, the field study which consists of two parts; cognitive mapping and survey are employed. In the first part, users are asked to draw the area as if they are explaining it to a foreigner. After that the survey part is started. The survey consists of four parts; cognitive mapping, use density, user opinion and personal information. As a result of the survey which are carried out with a hundred respondents; how users perceive the area, which buildings are preferential or unnoticed, and their suggestions for the area were determined. We can see that people living for long years in the city know many buildings in the area, have ideas about the history and know the current functions of these buildings. The priority of the newcomers to the city, has been the most striking structures. It is seen that they don't know the hidden structures and don't have idea about the history of the old buildings. Therefore, newcomers and tourists can't percieve the area totally and realize the richness of this pattern, is thought. It is also seen that they don't know anything about the studies in the area which were carried out by the UNESCO World Heritages. These results are obtained from the field study: 1. Goals and objectives: • Preservation, maintaining and repairing of the identity of prominent cognitive image of Han District to ensure the sustainability, • Ensuring the sustainability with preservation of the historical identity and trading function which are the most important characteristics of the region, • Taking measures and decisions as tourism-oriented to enrich the historic center of Bursa both design and administrative issue. 2. Design and planning: • Increasing the perceptibility of significant landmarks, • Increasing the quality of open spaces and creating new open spaces in the appropriate fields, • Protection and development of historical trading route, • Landscape arrangements to enhance usage of the public space, • Solving the traffic and parking problems which negatively affect the city center and region, • Refunctioning some buildings to increase the use of young people and making organization for young people, • Making arrangements in order to increase the use of courtyards of some khans, • Making arrangements of the undefined area for tourists and proposing trip routes linking the major landmarks in the region. 3. Administration: • Raising awareness of users about the history of the region and the practices carried out in the area, • Taking measures by the local management to facilitate understanding and experiencing of the region for tourists such as increasing the number of qualified tourist guides, • Reconsideration of application for cleaning and scheme of the area by the local management and increasing the effectiveness of this application, • Acting together in all administrative units of the city. At the end of this study, we can conclude that user opinions provide us important data and these data can be used on sustainable revitalization of historic urban quarters. Because of this, this study can set an example to further researches, which aim to get and evaluate user opinions in different historic urban quarters.