Using Space Syntax to Convert a Brownfield Area into a Innovative Park: the case of Kayseri

The aim of this study is to develop an urban design strategy for the revitalization of post‐ industrial areas and the railway line in Kayseri –an industrialized city in Central Anatolia, Turkey. With the developments in 1930s, Kayseri became one of the modern cities of the Turkish Republic. In parallel with the world’s history of industrialization, Kayseri Sümerbank Cotton Factory was established in 1935 nearby the rail line in order to benefit from transportation and marketplace facilities. The current design of the Factory is characterized by the hostile layout of the railway tracks, which inhibits pedestrian access and segregates the area from the city center. This segregated circumstance is evaluated and new design strategies are developed with the aim of converting the isolated area into an innovative park design including sustainable, mixed‐used functions for creating a pedestrian‐friendly environment. The basic concepts and the methods of Space syntax are adapted to develop a new strategy for this Brownfield site by analyzing the relationship between the urban form, the pattern of movement and space use. Firstly, axial line analysis is conducted to determine the global and local integration patterns of the city. Even though the Brownfield area seems to be highly integrated at the global level, pedestrian access is disconnected between the city center and the area due to the railway tracks cutting through the city. Secondly, pedestrian counts are conducted along the selected spaces for analyzing the link between pedestrian movement and urban morphology. This is a major step in forecasting the effects of the proposed changes in street layout to pedestrian accessibility. Lastly, Depth map (visibility graph analysis) is also implemented by drawing isovists from several strategic spaces from the proposed layout. This serves two aims: first, to understand how far these isovists extend and overlap with each other; second, to evaluate whether the views offered by the spatial layout support inviting images.

The proposed design project is an integrated approach to land‐use, transportation, green space and sustainable development that will create a framework for the future growth of the City of Kayseri and lead to a vibrant and livable city with an enhanced quality of urban life. By changing the rules of the engagement between plant life and pedestrians, our strategy combines organic and building materials into a blend of changing proportions that accommodates the wild, the cultivated, the intimate, and the hyper‐social.