KÖHNELEŞMİŞ TARİHİ KENT ÇEKİRDEKLERİNİN SOYLULAŞTIRILMASI ÜZERİNE: TOKAT SULU SOKAK ÖRNEĞİ
ON GENTRIFICATION OF DILAPIDATED HISTORICAL CITY CORES: THE CASE OF TOKAT SULU SOKAK

Summary/Abstract: The migration movement from rural areas to cities that began after the Industrial Revolution has deeply affected cities in sociocultural, economic, and technical aspects. One of the most significant problems of rapidly growing and unplanned cities due to migration is the transformation of historical city cores into areas of decay within the city centers. The process, which began with the inability of the buildings in historical city cores to fulfill their daily functions, has led to their abandonment and neglect. Neglected buildings have often been converted into storage areas or sold/rented to low-income groups. As a result, historical city centers have transformed into areas where low-income groups or unemployed individuals reside, while those with higher income have moved towards the new residential areas of the city. In short, these processes, which have started with the demographic transformation of the population in historical city centers, have resulted in physical and spatial changes, revealing dilapidated historical city cores. The improvement efforts through structural and spatial interventions aiming to restore these dilapidated historical centers to important areas of the city bring about various social, economic, and demographic changes. One of the most significant outcomes of these changes is the concept of gentrification. This study aims to examine the conservation and improvement efforts carried out in Sulu Sokak, the historical city and commercial center of the city of Tokat, located in Turkey, within the framework of gentrification. Many historical structures within the study area reflect the history of the city. Sulu Sokak and its surroundings, located on the southern slopes of Tokat Castle, had turned into a decayed area by the 2000s. In order to achieve the aim of the study, the conditions of Sulu Sokak and the historical structures on it before and after the year 2000 were analyzed. As a result of the analysis, it was observed that the conservation efforts carried out in Sulu Sokak since 2005 by public institutions and nongovernmental organizations have led to improvement and demographic changes in the area. However, it was understood that these efforts did not go beyond the individual restoration of historical structures and urban landscape. With this study, the importance of approaching conservation efforts in historical city cores within scientific and comprehensive conservation approaches, and the significance of decision-makers, have been emphasized.

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