VIRTUAL Barcelona

Abstract

Industrial structures embody urban resources and historical periods, shaping cityscapes and culture. However, many old industrial areas have deteriorated, leading to urban depression zones (Roberts & Sykes, 2000). Neoliberal urban restructuring has prompted initiatives to manage and regenerate these sites, aiming to preserve their heritage and revitalize urban spaces (Köksal & Ahunbay, 2006; Arslan and Uludag, 2020). It’s crucial to safeguard the intangible significance these structures hold in collective memory and address the legitimacy of spatial planning (Oevermann and Mieg, 2015). This study focuses on the regeneration of Samsun Tekel Factory in Turkey, analysing its loss of intangible qualities, such as social and cultural identity, through citizens’ collective memory. The research argues that the factory’s regeneration efforts, mainly land use conversion to a shopping mall, have contributed to this loss. The study also examines planning practices in heritage site regeneration, structured around legal, physical, and social dimensions. The concept of the “education of collective perception,” drawn from Marc Auge’s work (2008), underscores the importance of understanding community perspectives. Utilizing a mixed methodology of qualitative and quantitative approaches, including archive searches, interviews, and surveys, this research provides a comprehensive evaluation of the regeneration process.