IN-PERSON Barcelona. Section B

Abstract

Over the last century, urban and rural development has undergone severe transformations, reshaping the built environment in unprecedented ways worldwide. Rapid urbanization has caused the expansion of cities, and the densely populated urban cores have necessitated the construction of extensive transportation networks in between. Simultaneously, rural landscapes along these networks have witnessed changes in agricultural and technological aspects, leading to altered land use patterns and the introduction of modern infrastructure. In the Urla Peninsula of Izmir, the introduction of the Izmir-Çeşme Highway and its branches have encouraged rapid development in and around the historic rural villages. However, the existing settlements were insufficient in terms of building stock and infrastructure for immigration, a situation further accelerated by the pandemic and the 2020 Izmir earthquake. Thus, the perimeters of the villages, which were significant for agricultural production and animal husbandry, have transformed into suburbs due to the construction of uniform houses and grid-plan roadways around the highway exits and coastlines. This study investigates the relationship between historical rural settlements and highways, focusing on formulating principles for sustainable rural development. The research employs a framework to generate these principles, incorporating elements of rural planning, environmental sustainability, cultural and natural heritage preservation, and community engagement. The results show that the principles are crucial to understanding and evaluating the place for further development of the villages.