Ankara
City of Ankara, Turkey
Ankara
Ankara is the capital and the second largest city of Turkey with its population about 4 millions and metropolitan area territory of 50 km diameter.
Till 19th century the main components of green structure of pre-industrial town Ankara are private court yards in the centre, and vineyards, orchards, creek promenades and meadows at the fringe, outside the city walls of the town. As parallel to the urban public garden movement in Europe, the first public garden, “Millet Bahcesi” (Nation Garden) was established in 1880s.
With the proclamation of Ankara as the capital of Turkey in 1923, the growth of the town accelerated, and city gained an urban plan, which has holistic plan for green structure, prepared by Professor Hermann Jansen.
The components of green structure were green belt, green wedge (Atatürk Experimental Farm) and strips formed with creeks and valleys, and public gardens and central park (Youth Park) along the main boulevard of the city, Atatürk Boulevard.
This 2.000 Ha., 300.000 design year population plan emphasised in the formation and conservation of green areas, such as parks and other recreation areas in and around the planned Ankara. Jansen’s plan, in this manner preserved the valleys as green areas with all their morphological properties (Kaplan&Tuncer 2006).
The next plan, approved in 1957, was prepared by N.Yücel and R.Uybadin, following their winning of the first prize in the competition held in 1954. Their plan covers approximately 5.720 hectares for 750.000 design year population. In the jury report of the competition it was stressed that their proposal emphasise the conservation of present, and development of new green areas to separate building zones from another is one of the superiorities of the proposal. This plan followed the Jansen’s look at the valleys (Kaplan&Tuncer 2006).
1990 Ankara Master Plan, so called, was prepared by the Ankara Metropolitan Area Master Plan Office, established in 1969 by the Ministry of Public Works and Housing for 14.440 hectares and for 3.6 million population. The valleys within the plan boundaries were not opened into building development, and were totally protected as green areas (Kaplan&Tuncer 2006).
2015 Ankara Master Plan is the fourth plan in this manner. It’s macroform proposal largely accepted and adjusted the principles and policies of the 1990 plan, however due to changing socio-economic circumstances and becoming more aware of the city’s environmental problems, primarely it’s air quality, the plan urged an accelerated decentralisation.The macroform proposals included in widening of the green belt and preservation of the valleys as green spaces (Kaplan&Tuncer 2006).
2025 Ankara Urban Area Master Plan, prepared by the Ankara Greater Municipality, largely follows the planning principles and policies, proposed by the 2015 plan, and ties them to such prime principles as ‘conservation-use balance ‘ and ‘sustainability’ (Kaplan&Tuncer 2006).
During the period between proclamation of city as capital and today, the population and the area of city extremely increased and the city gained new public parks.
The total number of the parks in Ankara is 1.327 and the amount is 6.590.104 m² by 2003. They are in different sizes ranging from about 200 m² to 1.180.000 m².
Park District Area (m²) Year
Guven Park Cankaya 25.000 1930s
Genclik Parki Altindag 270.000 1940
Kurtulus Parki Cankaya 110.000 1960s
Segmenler Parki Cankaya 65.000 1980s
Abdi Ipekci Parki Cankaya 37.000 1980s
Botanik Parki Cankaya 72.000 1980s
Altin Park Altindag 640.000 1980s
Demetevler Parki Yenimahalle 76.000 1990s
Dikmen Vadisi Cankaya 260.000 2000s
Etap I+II
Goksu Parki Etimesgut 581.000 2003
Harikalar Diyari Sincan 1.180.000 2003
There is also big amount of green area of the belt under control of university authority in the territory of university campuses, state units and military, which hold the process of plantation and protect the land against illegal building activities.
Literature: Kaplan, H. and Tuncer, M., 2006. Misuse of Urban Regeneration Projects: An Interpretation of Ankara Plans with their Ecological Principles. 42nd ISoCaRP Congress, Istanbul, Turkey.
REGISTRATION
The following Institutions have been registered for the EULP Project. If you also want to be part of it please contact the EULP Assistant Katharina Erne:
eulp@landscape.tuwien.ac.at
- Municipality of Ankara [No URL available in database.]
- Chamber of Landscape Architects (UCTEA)
- Culture of Nature Association
- Nature Conservation Center
- Nature Conservation Center
- The Research Association of Rural Environment and Forestry (RAREF) [No URL available in database.]
- The Research Association of Rural Environment and Forestry (RAREF)