On Urban Transformation: Bursa Hisar District-Oruç Bey Street Rehabilitation Project

Abstract

Urban transformation is a comprehensive and planned development process aimed at increasing livability by addressing the physical, economic, social, and psychological issues faced by populations living in cities, especially in the context of globalization. This process typically focuses on improving the soil structure in areas at risk of disasters or organizing new settlements. In addition, transformation can also involve the renewal of existing structures, strengthening infrastructure, and addressing aesthetic concerns. The main goal of urban transformation is to prevent the collapse of urban areas, ensure the sustainability of buildings with cultural heritage value, improve urban life, and reestablish cultural values as a focal point. During the implementation process of urban transformation projects aimed at achieving these goals, cities and their historical identities have suffered due to ineffective preservation policies that could not be developed. Transformation projects in cities with a rich historical heritage must be carried out with a focus on preservation.

This study is based on the aim of ensuring the sustainability of urban areas with historical value under the pressure of rapid urbanization and realizing their potential values. In this context, the Oruçbey Street, one of the oldest streets in the Hisar District of Osmangazi, Bursa, which was the first capital of the Ottoman Empire and is densely populated with historical buildings, has been comprehensively examined within the scope of the Health Improvement Project. The research primarily discusses the definition, formation, and implementation methods of the concept of urban transformation, followed by an overview of the Hisar District in Osmangazi, Bursa. With the help of field analysis and descriptive analysis from qualitative research methods, the location of Oruç Bey Street in Hisar District, its change and development in the historical process, current situation analysis and the benefits of transformation are listed. As a result, it has been evaluated whether the health improvement work on Oruç Bey Street, considered as an urban transformation project, meets the transformation objectives.