Abstract KÃ¼tahya has been the crade of many cultures throughout the history. Especially, its population grew after Turkish occupation and the city expanded beyond the walls of the city. Traditional life characteristics and tradational production stiles survived till how such as ceramics, textile, leather, carpets and handcrafts. Thus, Centre Business District (CBD) continue to preservative the business vitality together with religious, social and civil architecture examples and its conservative people. So, if the preservation aims the participation of public (owners/users), the social pattern of the area becomes so important in the process. With determining the relation between the social and physical attitudes towards the preservation of the area, suitable solution can be formed which fits with the situation. A social survey was conducted to the offices. The results of the survey related with ownership patterns, the functions, the employee and customers of the shop, the consciousness and tendencies to repair activities. Thus, the results of the study can be useful for policy makers, urban planners and inverts.

Berk Minez

Nevnihal Erdogan

English

Research Papers in Economics

 
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THE REVITALIZATION OF 
KÜTAHYA'S CBD IN TURKEY 
aB.Minez, 
bN.Erdoğan 
aBerk Minez, Trakya University, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Department of Architecture, Edirne, 
TURKEY, berkminez@mynet.com 
bNevnihal Erdoğan, Trakya University, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Department of Architecture, 
Edirne, TURKEY, nevtrakya@hotmail.com 
 
KEY WORDS: Public Participation, Revitalization, CBD and Kütahya 
ABSTRACT  
Kütahya has been the crade of many cultures throughout the history. Especially, its population 
grew after Turkish occupation and the city expanded beyond the walls of the city. Traditional 
life characteristics and traditional production stiles survived till how such as ceramics, textile, 
leather, carpets and handcrafts. Thus, Centre Business District (CBD) continue to preservative 
the business vitality together with religious, social and civil architecture examples and its 
conservative people. The historical areas between Ulu Cami (Ulu Mosque) and Sadettin Cami 
(Sadettin Mosque) presents the historical trade center which exists vitally today of Kütahya. 
Participation of users/owners of traditional shops are needed in order to obtain data for 
revitalization project of Ulu Cami Street which is one of the important trade streets in 
conservation plan. 
A survey was conducted to users/owners. The results of the survey related with changing 
function approach of owners to the preservation studies, the alternatives for new function, the 
physical conditions of shops, restorations, environmental problems of the street, the social and 
cultural structure of past. And finally, a proposal is developed to rehabilitee the existing the 
character and condition the street. 
 
1. INTRODUCTION 
 
Many cities in Turkey, especially is also the experience of Kütahya have a rich and significant 
cultural heritage, within which the old Central Business District (CBD) are specially 
important as they form the historic urban sites. Today many of these old CBD are faced with a 
problem of use. The problems which are created by utilization are varied, in relation to the 
cultural social and economic characteristic of users/owners. The combination of all of these 
factors has caused the historical city centre to lose its function of being the central business 
district (CBD). Many historical shops have disappeared because of these problems. Thus, the 
purpose of this paper is to explain to revitalize the old CBD with participation of public 
(owner/users). 
 
There are several approaches to the revitalization of declining CBDs, which is a common 
problem (Frieden and Segalyn, 1989, Porter, 1995; Tiesdale at all., 1996). In The United 
States, the Main Street Program and the Business Improvement Districts are successful 
programs in inner city revitalization (Keister, 1990; Robertson, 2004). The Main Street Program is a compressive program focused on local opportunities in four areas; economic 
restructuring, organization, promotion and design. This program has been implemented 
hundreds of cities. 
 
Kütahya has been cradle of many cultures throughout the history. Especially, its population 
grew after the Turkish occupation and the city expanded beyond the walls of the city. 
Traditional life characteristics and traditional production stiles survived till now such as 
ceramics, textile, leather, carpets and handcrafts. 
 
When the city of Kütahya was a province and was the commercial center of the surrounding 
towns and settlements, it was a rich city and population was growing but when the city lost its 
governmental authority and population started to decline towards the middle of XIX.th. 
century, the rise and/or decline of population effected the development of the city of Kütahya 
(Aktüre, 1975). 
 
Although the small shops which exists in Pekmezpazarı where caravanserai (han) and covered 
bazaar (bedesden) takes place in Kütahya, had lost their old character a few, they still preserve 
the traditional vitality. The historical areas between “Ulu Cami (Ulu Mosque)” and “Sadettin 
Cami (Sadettin Mosque)” presents the historical trade center which exists vitally today of 
Kütahya (Figure1). 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                       Figure 1. Historical Trade Centre in Kütahya 
 
The historical settlement occurs with union of the streets which progress spontaneously in the 
east part of Kütahya Castle and around trade and religion centre. The settlement groups which 
usually progress related to Mosque center, creates the districts. The street between “Ulu 
Cami” and “Sadettin Cami” which are the most important, of these centers, presents the trade 
center of Kütahya that still survives today (Figure2). 
ULU CAMI 
SADETTİN 
CAMİ  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 2. Views from the Ulu Cami Street 
 
 Although the traditional small shops in this street, which is connected to Pekmez Bazaar 
(Han and Bedesten take place) and Cumhuriyet Street (trade center of today), lost their old 
character a few, they still preserve the traditional vitality. There exists 55 traditional shops in 
the street. They are lined up in double direction through the axle of Ulu Cami-Sadettin Cami. 
The survey could be applied to 42 ( 76%) traditional shops. 
 
Conservation plan of Kütahya was prepared between 1980-1982 and approved in 1987 by the 
Minister of Culture. One of the historical street which is Germiyan Street was proposed as one 
of the important streets to be restored and revitalize by the Minister of Culture. Minez and at 
all (2005) was investigated in revitalization project of Germiyan Street of Kütahya. The 
Project was not influential in the surrounding areas yet. Since it was not well understood by 
public due to lack of participation and lack of education. 
 
Participation of users/owners of these shops are needed in order to obtain data for 
revitalization project of Ulu Cami street which is one of the important trade streets in 
conservation plan. With this point of new, a survey was conducted in Ulu Cami Street of 
Kütahya in order to distinguish the socio-economic, cultural and physical structure of area. 
The result of survey related with changing function, approach of owners to the preservation 
studies, the alternatives for new functions, the physical conditions of shops, restorations, 
environmental problems of street, the social and cultural structure of past. The survey 
questions were asked to the public/users in the area in order to determine the social, economic 
and cultural structure of the users, and physical situation of shops. As a result of the descript 
statistical analysis of the data obtained by the application all survey and the information 
obtained by face to face interviews.  Change of function
52%
Not change of 
function
48%
The present paper deals with the revitalization of the old CBD of Kütahya, which is a problem 
in many cities in Turkey. The organization of the paper is as follows: Research findings are 
explained in the second section. Final section is devoted to result and conclusions. 
 
2.  RESEARCH FINDINGS  
 
The study bases on the shops, which is a total number of 55 in the street. But the survey could 
be applied to 42 (76%) of them. In 90% the shops, it was interviewed with boss and in 10% it 
was done with the worker. 
 
The Situation in the Past 
 
Although loosing the vitality in the past, the region that was the historical trade center of city, 
maintains the property of being trade center. It ıs visilde that 100% of these traditional shops 
still continues trade. The function have changed in 52% (22) of these work shops but not 
changed in 48% (20)of them (Figure 3) .The former function were most of, cupper good 
seller, tin made, shoe production & sale usage and small handcraft workshops. Today, 
different functions like restaurant, bakery and electrician took place instead of former ones. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 3. Situation of changed function in time  
 
Facade restoration was done for 33% (14) of the buildings in the areas. In these restorations 
windows have been changed generally. Save buildings have lost their original facades after 
restorations windows. 7% (3) of buildings have been restorated over their plans. During these 
restorations, the spaces in the ground floor were separated with dividing walls and save 
service places like wc, kitchen and store were organized according to their function. General 
modifications like painting installations were made for 41% (17) of buildings (Figure 4). 
 
14
7
17
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Facade Space General
 
Figure 4. Modification situation 48% (20) of shop owners know about history of the street. According to these datas, it is 
obvious that this region was trade center in the past and was a place where the newcomers 
from surrounding countries first dropped by. 
 
The Situation of Present 
 
Present day 10 work place is used as tin mader, five shops as cafe house- tea house and six 
shops as restaurant, in the area-covered bazaar these, there exists ceramics, market, swatch, 
electrician shop, barber and two caravanserai in the area (Figure 5). 
 
10; 24%
5; 12%
6; 14% 2; 5% 2; 5% 2; 5%
2; 5%
13; 30%
Tin made
Cafe house
Restaurant
Ceramics
Market
Swatch seller
Electrician shop
Others
 
 
Figure 5. Distribution of function in shops 
 
There are differences between the usage of ground floor and upper floor in 15% (6) of the 
buildings. The architecture of 93% (39) buildings in the street aren’t approved. The biggest 
reason of this is the inharmonious façade modifications. 
 
All the shop owners think that the road and pavement are narrow. 36% (15) of them owners 
think that parking areas are insufficient, 51% (21) pedestrian pavemant are narrow and 4% (2) 
single lined traffic becomes an environmental problem (Figure 6). 
 
42
15
21
2
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Narrow road Insufficient
parking areas
Narrow Road
and Pavement
Single lined
traffic
 
Figure 6. Environmental Problems in Ulu Cami Street 
 Expectations from future 
 
The answers to the question about the new function after restorations and modifications are : 
81%(34) the same function (trade), 59% (24) tourism function, 52% (22) handcrafts function, 
11% (5) exhibition function (Figure7). 
 
34
24 21
5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Trade Tourism Handcrafts   Exhibition
 
Figure 7. Distribution of expected new function in shops 
 
The expectations of users from restorations are: 100% thinks that trade vitality will increase, 
44% (18) thinks that values of buildings will increase, 59% (25) thinks that they will have a 
better environment visually, 24% (10) thinks that pedestrian areas will be an alternative to 
environmental problems. Beside these, modification for improving streets with pedestrian 
areas are expected. 
 
3.  CONCLUSION 
 
The results of survey shows the social, cultural and economical structure of the street is 
determined. So when the results are interpreted : 
 
        While trade function of the street still continues present like the past, the type of trade 
has changed today. 
        Because  of  the  original  architectural character of the shops in the street become 
depraved after wrong restoration and modification in their facades and space. For these 
reasons, shop owners who mostly know about the history of the street disapprove the 
inharmonious aesthetic of buildings. 
  In general, infrastructure, traffic and lack of maintenance are seen as the main 
problems of the environment . All the owners think that the road is narrow, and among the 
other environmental problems parking area problems, narrow pedestrian pavement  and single 
lined traffic are most common problems which decreased the sales. 
  Most of people who do not have an idea about the history of the physical environment 
around them, think that those buildings should be preserved. Although not knowing anything 
about the process of preservation, people will participate to the process if there will be a 
restoration activity in the area. 
  The functions expected from revitalization project are trade, tourism, handcrafts, 
exhibitation which are thought to make trade vital, environment more qualified, and with 
pedestrian areas as an alternative to traffic problem. All the traditional shops are proposed to be cleansed in  the Ulu Cami street which takes place 
in conservation plan (Conservation Plan, 1987). We suggest the followings against the project 
which denies the traditional urban tissue : A new facade design should be developed taking 
consideration of less qualified materials used in the shop facades in inharmonious way. In this 
so, it is consistent to arrange the facades as a reflection of traditional Kütahya architecture 
with a definite “built high”. It is possible which suits trade approach of today with continuing 
traditional trade function. Considering the increase in the pedestration with application of 
proposed project the street should be used as pedestrian road by cancelling of traffic when the 
trade is too dense. 
 
As a result of the proposal, the street will become one of the attraction points of centre 
Business District, which effect gentrification in a positive was, provide economic gain to the 
whole city and therefore, the street physically, economically and socially revitalized, will be 
sustained. 
 
Although commercial street rehabilitation, which is certainly the most important evidence of 
gentrification improves the city’s physical health by fore stalling further decay of the 
commercial stok. This proje was not influential in the surrounding areas yet. Since it was not 
well understood by the public due to lack of participation and lack of education  
 
 
REFERENCES 
 
Aktüre, S., 1975, 17.Yüzyıl Başından 19. Yüzyıl Ortasına Kadarki Dönemde Anadolu 
Osmanlı Şehirlerinde Şehirsel Yapının Değişme Süreci, M.E.T.U. Journal of the Faculty of 
Architecture Vol.1 No.1 
 
Frieden, B., And Sagaly, L., 1989, Downtown, Inc How America Rebuilds Cities, 
Cambridge:The Mıt Pres. 
 
Keister, K., 1990, “Main Street Makes Good”, Historical Preservation 41,6,38-45 
 
Minez, B., Erdoğan, N., Dökmeci, V., 2005, Revitalization of Kütahya’s CBD in Turkey, 
CIPA 2005 XX International Symposium, 26 September-01 October,Torino,Italy,p.p. 1096-
1100 
 
Plan Decisions and Explanatory Notes of the Conservation Planof Kütahya, 1987, 
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Porter, M., “The Competitive Advance of the Inner Cıty”, Harvard Business Review, May-
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Robertson, K., 2004, Main Street Approach to Downtown Development: an Examination of 
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17.Yüzyıl Başından 19. Yüzyıl Ortasına Kadarki Dönemde Anadolu Osmanlı Şehirlerinde Şehirsel Yapının Değişme Süreci,

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Public Participation in the Revitalization of KÃ¼tahya's CBD in Turkey

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Public Participation in the Revitalization of KÃ¼tahya's CBD in Turkey

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