An inquiry on rebel cities: How spatial morphology sets the stage for urban movements

Elif Vurucular Kesimci; Ayşen Ciravoğlu

doi:10.47818/DRArch.2023.v4i1083

An inquiry on rebel cities: How spatial morphology sets the stage for urban movements

Authors

Elif Vurucular Kesimci Short Bio Bursa Technical University

Instructor Elif Vurucular Kesimci will receive her Ph.D. (2023) in Building Research and Programming about spatial memory in department of Architecture from YTU. In her 13-year-professional-life, she worked in several architectural offices in the building design. She is a full time Instructor enrolled in research and educational activities in undergraduate level in the fields of architectural education, architectural design, philosophy of architecture, building typologies on architecture in Bursa Technical University, Faculty of Architecture and Design, for over 8 years.
Ayşen Ciravoğlu Short Bio Yıldız Technical University

Ayşen Ciravoğlu has received her PhD (2006) in Building Research and Programming about Sustainability in department of Architecture from YTU. She is a full time Professor enrolled in research and educational activities in both graduate and undergraduate levels in the fileds of architectural education, sustainable architecture, architectural design, environmental issues and critics on architecture in Yıldız Technical University, Faculty of Architecture. Ciravoğlu has won EAAE (European Association for Architectural Education) Prize in 2002 with her article entitled “On Formal and Informal Studies in Architectural Design Education”.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47818/DRArch.2023.v4i1083

Keywords:

urban morphology, public space, rebel cities, space syntax, spatial morphology

Abstract

The common thread to urban movements happening worldwide in recent years is the fact that urban public space is used as a significant setting by city dwellers for expressing their “objections”. What has been experienced throughout urban movements when public spaces have been occupied enables us to grasp the meaning of occupied spaces in the city thus allowing us to get to know societies and cities. Therefore, this research has investigated the impact of urban public space on the consciousness, interaction and gathering of city dwellers as well as urban movements. Within the scope of the research, eight “rebel cities” have been analyzed, and have interviews with participants of urban movements from these cities. These are Tunis, Cairo, Barcelona, London, New York, Dublin, Paris, and Hamburg, respectively. The places where urban movements were visible in urban space and their surroundings have been analyzed using the Space Syntax method, and the gathering/unification/integration potential of public space has been spatially investigated by determining the characteristics of urban patterns. Accordingly, the city affects the formation of urban movements with its spatial pattern. In the case of Merida city, which constitutes the control sample and which was not affected by the urban movements that spread to the whole world, this finding is also supported. With the results obtained in the research, the significance of public space, as an essential element contributing to the formation of urban movements, has been proven. This study further reveals the possibility of urban spaces allowing social encounters and its importance in terms of democracy.

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Published

2023-04-30

How to Cite

Vurucular Kesimci, E., & Ciravoğlu, A. (2023). An inquiry on rebel cities: How spatial morphology sets the stage for urban movements. Journal of Design for Resilience in Architecture and Planning, 4(1), 53–64. https://doi.org/10.47818/DRArch.2023.v4i1083