Spatial planning and implementation process in Türkiye: Kars example

In this study titled "Spatial Planning and Implementation Process in Turkey: The Case of Kars," the spatial development process of the city center of Kars is analyzed through field research, zoning plans, and aerial images. Spatial development is not limited solely to urbanization but encompasses multidimensional processes such as rural development, regional planning, and socioeconomic transformation. Demographic changes, migration movements, industrialization, and transformations in economic structures constitute the core dynamics of spatial development. In this context, spatial development is shaped by development plans, sectoral policies, and sustainability objectives.The study examines Turkey's spatial planning process from the establishment of the Republic to the present in four distinct periods: i) 1923–1960 (urban planning and modernization of Ankara), ii) 1960–1980 (planned development), iii) 1980–2000 (modernization attempts and market- oriented growth), and iv) post-2000 period (disaster-related applications and rent-oriented development). The institutional structure of Turkey's spatial planning system, types of plans, interrelations between plans, fundamental planning principles (generality, clarity, public benefit, sustainable development, necessity, hierarchical consistency, flexibility, continuity, comprehensiveness, scientificity, and participation), and the phases of the planning process are thoroughly examined.The spatial development process of the selected case study area, Kars city, was analyzed through on-site observations and examinations using field research. Netcad, ArcMap, and Photoshop were employed to digitize transformations in land use through mapping techniques. Changes and transformations in the urban macroform were comparatively analyzed using zoning plans and aerial photographs. Findings indicate insufficient adherence to fundamental planning principles, highlighting significant discrepancies between implementation and plan decisions, particularly after 2000. The analyses specific to Kars provide a critical evaluation of structural problems encountered in applying planning principles in small-scale cities and illustrate spatial transformation dynamics with concrete examples.