The social, economic, physical and enviromental effects of pedestrianization: Study Adapazari Çark Street

Pedestrianization is not only to close the streets to the motor traffic physically and make them suitable places for the pedestrians but also a means of planning regarding their social, economical, environmental and spatial influences.In order to solve the social, economical, physical and spatial problems a lot of pedestrianization works which differed according to the era, geography and the position of the city, have been done in Europe and United States.After World War II, the pedestrianization practices to rebuilt the city centers and regenerate the histrorical ones to make them charming centers have been done in Europe whereas the pedestrianization has begun to provide the competition of the city centers against suburb shopping centers in United States.The earthquake that happened on 17 August 1999 in Adapazarı, is imprinted on our memories as a painful memory in which thousands of people died and lots of industrial establishments, houses and workplaces, have collapsed.The pedestrianization of Çark Street and its vicinity became one of the most important planning practices going beyond the economic and the social stagnation resulting from the earthquake.With this study, the pedestrianization project practiced in one of the most active streets in the city of Adapazarı, Çark Street is evaluated with the help of analytical studies such as aim and purpose of the pedestrianization, public survey applied to the users and the owners of the workplaces, density of the pedestrian area usage, land practices. With this data, it is proved that Çark Street pedestrianization project has reached target and purpose.