ANNUAL CONGRESS 2025

Rethinking The Urban Design of Coastline: Izmirdeniz Project

Not scheduled

20m

Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul

Oral Track 17 | PUBLIC SPACE

Speaker

Ms Aysu GURMAN (Yasar University & Izmir Institute of Technology)

Description

This study addresses the challenges of coastline development, highlighting the limitations of top-down, fragmented approaches that fail to fully integrate the diverse needs of stakeholders, with a particular focus on the prioritization of recreational spaces over the transformative potential of the sea and the underutilization of participatory processes. The coastal city of Izmir, Türkiye offers an insightful case study for collaborative, inclusive, and sustainable strategies that enhance coastal spaces as dynamic arenas for shared urban futures. The study centers on the Izmirdeniz Project, an urban coastal design initiative led by the local government in Izmir. The project aims to strengthen the connection between the residents and the sea through the redesign of its inner bay as a performance venue for the people of Izmir and its 40-kilometer coastline.
The study begins by exploring how Izmir's vision as the 'Mediterranean's city of culture, art, and design,' developed through the Culture Workshop and Design Forum, led to the creation of the coastal urban design project. This vision sought to integrate design with daily urban life, making coastal urban spaces not only accessible but also actively engaged by the public. Transforming the coastline involved both spatial interventions and embedding the coastal spaces within the city’s social and cultural rhythms. The study aims to unpack the urban design process, critically analyzing the conceptual and professional approaches that challenge conventional urban development narratives.
The study investigates the relationship between the publicness of the sea and urban design, focusing on the collaborative efforts of over 100 local design actors. Using a multimethodological approach—document analysis, literature review, and semi-structured interviews—it dissects the decision-making, design, development, and implementation phases, assessing each phase and the involved actors. This study critiques traditional coastal development narratives, advocating for an approach that fosters collective agency and supports participatory, iterative design processes. It emphasizes that publicness should be seen as an evolving process rather than a fixed outcome, advocating for a mindset shift towards more equitable, sustainable coastal development. However, there are limitations to this study, including potential constraints in data availability and the challenge of fully capturing the complexity of stakeholder interactions. Future research should explore the long-term impacts of urban coastal development, with a focus on ensuring social equity and environmental resilience.
The study suggests that the complexity of the sea and its interplay with the real-world setting influence the scope and outcome of the project, probing the transformative potential of sea. It contends that the project prioritizes quality of life by fostering everyday connections with the sea through various land-sea interface sections, while preserving the low-intensity lifestyle that defines the city’s character and promoting sustainable urban design decisions. However, the process encountered several challenges, including the gap between design and implementation phases, the exclusion of design actors during implementation and significant changes to the proposed designs. This led to a shift in intention, from the publicness of the sea to the publicness of the coastline.
In conclusion, this study offers a comprehensive exploration of the challenges and opportunities associated with coastal urban development. By situating the Izmirdeniz Project within debates on publicness, agency and participatory governance, it underscores the potential for urban design to act as a dynamic arena of negotiation and collaboration. The study provides valuable insights for local governments, planners, and designers seeking to develop more equitable, inclusive, and resilient coastal communities, emphasizing the importance of fostering inclusive public design cultures in coastal urban spaces.