Neighborhoods Under Pressure: Urban Transformation and the Erosion of ‘Active Edges’

Abstract

The significance of neighborhood space for the well-being of urban residents became particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. During this period, the affordances of the neighborhood for needs such as access to nature, physical activity, play, and socialization became critical for the physical and mental well-being of the urban residents. Correspondingly, public open spaces and semi-private spaces of the residential yards played a pivotal role. The semi-private zones, spaces between the private space of the house and the public space of the street, became prominent for open space activities, especially for vulnerable groups with limited mobility. Their easy accessibility, intermediary level of publicness and privacy, and flexibility for more temporary and personalized uses made them essential.

The importance of semi-private zones for durable activities and active street life contributing to overall neighborhood vitality predates the pandemic. For over half a century, scholars have discussed the merits of active semi-private zones, referred to as ‘building edges’ (Alexander et al., 1977), ‘soft edges’ (Gehl, 1980;1986), ‘active interfaces’ (Bentley, 1999), in relation to their spatial qualities (Owens, 1993; Habraken, 2000) for fostering a sense of security, socialization, and community cohesion. Moreover, these zones are not static entities; they are (re)produced by the use and adaptation patterns of the residents and urban transformation processes.

Urban transformation processes at the neighborhood scale accelerated in Turkey, especially after the 2000s, as the privileges granted to the construction sector and the legislative regulations facilitated urban transformations. Following that, the process has been exploited, and urban transformation became a major tool to enlarge the building footprints and increase the building heights for financial benefit. This has led to excessive densification, environmental degradation, and infrastructure problems in existing central neighborhoods. The process has resulted in the deterioration of semi-private spaces, with green front yards being lost for the sake of car parking areas, regardless of their benefits for the residents.

By investing in the examination of the urban transformation process, this research examines the pre- and post-morphologies in the Güvenevler neighborhood, located in the capital Ankara, from 2002 to 2023. As a methodological basis, the research employed detailed mapping and on-site photographic surveys to document urban transformation, explicitly focusing on the erosion of the ‘soft edges.’ The documentation portrayed not only the erosion of these zones due to transformation processes but also the variety of interface typologies that still exist in the neighborhood. The transformation patterns are also iterated hypothetically to simulate the implications of the transformation in a more longitudinal perspective. The results provide insights into the future impact of the transformation patterns on the experiential and ecological qualities of the neighborhood.

The research aims to highlight the meaning of active semi-public spaces as a game changer for everyday life, emphasize the need to understand the socio-ecological implications of urban transformations, and inform future design considerations regarding urban transformations at the neighborhood scale.