Urban lighting design proposal for historical city center: The case of Adana

Urban lighting is one of the most crucial urban components for the urban user to be able to perceive living and non-living urban elements and to benefit from various functions such as transportation, security, and aesthetics. In this sense, urban lighting can be grouped into two categories, functional or architectural. While the purpose of functional lighting is to provide visibility and safety in nightlife, the purpose of architectural lighting is to meet the aesthetic needs that are shaped by the development of technology and to reveal the identity of the city. The role of urban lighting is very important in the relationship that cities establish with their past, especially in the field of identity. Although lighting is usually used only for the illumination of all urban areas, it should be considered for promoting, increasing its use, and protecting historic urban areas. This thesis aims to provide general information about urban lighting, to mention the importance of lighting master plans, and to develop lighting proposals for historical urban centers. In this context, the environmental and physical conditions of the area covering the Tepebağ Mound located in the historical city center of Adana, and the surrounding historical structures were examined in terms of lighting, the lighting needs were determined through observation and measurement studies, and urban lighting design proposals for the historical texture were presented. This study, it is aimed to address urban lighting with a holistic approach and to contribute to similar lighting master plan studies to be conducted especially in historical areas.