Doğu Akdeniz Liman Kentlerinde Kıyı: Volos, Patras, ve Mersin Üzerinden Bir Değerlendirme

Abstract

As a beginning of the urban development and core of the commercial activity, waterfront had an influential role in economic, social and spatial development of port cities. Within the changes on manufacture and production relations in the 19 th century, the commercial activity on the waterfront area and port came into play for shaping the Eastern Mediterranean port cities. Waterfront area and the port are places that open the city to the outer world, and their perpetual evolution continued as a part of the development of cities. Thereby, waterfront and its utilization have crucial traces for understanding and exploring the port cities. From this point of view, in this study, three port cities -Volos, Patras and Mersin-which have similar features on their development are examined through the changes on their waterfront by comparative approach, in accordance with the distinctive characteristics of the era. It is intended to contribute to new researches with the inference on the relation of the city, waterfront and the sea through the explorations and evaluation of the changes in waterfronts in the Eastern Mediterranean port cities, bearing in mind their different contextual characteristics.Thus, it can be possible to reconsider the changes on the waterfront and the port area since 20 th century that is particularly based on the processes of change, and the priorities of the capitalist economy. Also, examination of the effects of these changes on the whole city will enable us to call attention for development of proposals and implementation processes that prioritize public interest, and consider the meaning, using and designing of the waterfront area as an essential part of the city.