IN-PERSON Manchester Livable Cities
Abstract
This paper proposes a novel integrated methodology for evaluating cultural heritage sites within the context of adaptive reuse and, by introducing a user-centered perspective, contributes to discussions on livable cities beyond purely preservation-driven frameworks. The methodology is based on the ICOMOS heritage impact principles, which serve as the main analytical framework for the entire study. A three-layered structure puts these principles into action. First, conservation-oriented criteria derived from ICOMOS establish the heritage-based evaluative parameters. Second, spatial configuration analysis—focusing on circulation, visibility, and functional mapping—is employed to examine how these principles are articulated within the spatial layout. Third, user experience models are integrated to assess how spatial and heritage values are perceived and negotiated by users and visitors. This layered approach allows for a contextual interpretation that connects heritage theory, spatial organization, and experiential outcomes. Based on ongoing research conducted at a cultural heritage complex in the Şehzadeler district of Manisa, Türkiye, the study applies the proposed framework to three sites with distinct contemporary functions: the Giritligil Museum Hotel, the Taş Fabrika Restaurant, and the Fatih Tower Museum. The presence of these adaptive reuse programs within a common urban and historical context creates an appropriate environment for analyzing the framework under various functional and experiential circumstances. While presenting initial empirical findings, the study positions the proposed methodological framework as a potentially adaptable analytical lens for examining heritage-led urban regeneration processes across different contexts.
Meltem Eranıl is an Assistant Professor in the Interior Architecture and Environmental Design Program at İzmir University of Economics. Her research explores spatial experience and socio-spatial transformation with a focus on gender, public space, and housing environments. She has published on women’s spatial practices in İzmir Culture Park (Gender, Place & Culture), neighborhood-scale transformation and relocation in TOKİ housing (Cities), migrant women’s spatial tactics in social housing, digital environments in design education, and gendered spatial representations in contemporary media.
Assist. Dr. Kardelen Aysel is a Lecturer in the Department of Industrial Design at İzmir University of Economics. She holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Design from Middle East Technical University (2023). Her research focuses on design education, pedagogical tool development, and the adaptation of design methods to interdisciplinary contexts. She specializes in developing frameworks and tools for skill acquisition and knowledge transfer in education and design practice, particularly by bridging formal and informal learning environments. Her current research explores technology integration in design education and technology-enhanced pedagogical practices. Since 2015, she has also worked as a visual facilitator, collaborating with municipalities, international organizations, and corporate entities.
Tuba Doğu received her B.Arch from Middle East Technical University and M.Sc. from The University of Sydney. Earned her PhD in architecture from Izmir Institute of Technology. Former Fulbright PhD visiting research fellow at Columbia GSAPP (2017-2018), a fellow at Design Trust Hong Kong (2018), and selected cultural manager under Tandem Turkey Program (2018-2019/2015-2016). Currently works as an Assistant Professor at Izmir University of Economics. Major research interests include urban interventions as a form of alternative spatial practices, centering on questions of human and material agency. She explores these through UrbanTank’s participatory, human-oriented projects and the Crack Institute’s investigations of cracks as sites of (im)perfection, resistance, and ecological possibility. Her writings have appeared in Lo Squaderno and are accessible via Manifold.
9:00 am - 10:30 am
Thursday 18th June, 2026