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The Turkish Land Readjustment (LR) System is a area-based system. The system is based on the principle of equal land contribution in return for the increase in value that will occur with the LR implementation. However, the applied area-based method is criticized because it does not ensure equality, does not include the construction of technical infrastructure and social facilities, is not participatory, and does not bring the increase in value to the public. For this reason, a study has been initiated by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change to diversify plan implementation tools. The article presents the results of the study regarding the value-based LR model. According to the findings of the research, as an alternative to the current area-based LR System in Turkey, the application of the value-based method will add a new dimension to the Turkish LR System. The fact that the country has a developed cadastral system ensures that area-based LR is carried out healthfully. However, the inadequacy of the valuation infrastructure makes the transition to value-based LR difficult. In Turkey, suddenly switching to value-based practices without a well-established valuation infrastructure may completely stop the existing parcel production capacity. For this reason, alternative models should be gradually incorporated into the system by eliminating the shortcomings of the current method. In the article, short, medium and long-term suggestions are presented for the management of the transition process, in line with the findings obtained from the research in the Turkish LR System. • Turkish Land Readjustment (LR) is an area-based. • The Turkish LR lacks both equality and infrastructure services. • Value-based method can give Turkish LR System a new dimension. • Weak valuation system impedes value-based LR (vb LR). • vb LR should be put into gradually practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land Readjustment (LR), a tool for generating land and frequently applied in the world, is also used in Türkiye in areas where 1/1000 scale implementation development plans are available. In world examples, Land Readjustment Implementation (LRi) is preferred in small application areas, integrated with applications focused on urban transformation and urban renewal. Considering exemplary LRi in the world, LRi in Germany and Japan attract attention. With the LR method, construction is completed by producing development parcels with all infrastructure facilities in a city. Independent sections in buildings built on produced parcels; commercial, residential etc. are used for different purposes. Unlike world LRi, the LR method is used in larger areas in Türkiye. However, in Türkiye, development parcels that do not have infrastructure (and it is unknown when the construction will be completed) are also produced. In fact, it is known that there are some problems with Türkiye's LRi. As a matter of fact, in order to eliminate these problems, revisions have been frequently made in the legal legislation regarding LR. Although the LR method has been improving and modified, it is still criticized. The aim of this study is to identify and eliminate the deficiencies of the method. A number of different studies were conducted for this purpose. The studies were carried out by geomatics engineers, the only discipline authorized to perform LRi in Türkiye. The opinions and suggestions of qualified geomatics engineers who are experts in LR and experts involved in the implementations were taken, the scientific studies produced by researchers were analysed, and all this information was taken into account and evaluated together in the light of world literature. In the study, firstly, current situation analyses and literature review were conducted. Thus, problems were identified with the support of literature and solution approaches were developed according to expert opinions. LR practices of successful countries were examined and suggestions were developed based on the information obtained from them. LRi was made in the determined areas and the actual implementation results were compared with the draft implementation results created according to the models developed within the scope of the study. Workshops were held with LR expert geomatics engineers, technical staff and LR expert researchers. Legal regulations have been proposed to implement the developed models. SWOT analysis, a tool widely used for strategic planning and traditionally known as a form of brainstorming, was chosen as a method adapted by applying Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) to rank the opinions of field experts and academics. The most important results obtained from the study can be listed that LRi is only area-based, has no alternative approaches to value-based LRi in practice in the current LR legislation, does not encourage public participation, is generally carried out as mandatory. The most important recommendation presented by the study is to provide, gradual transition from area-based to value-based LRi including different applicable alternative methods. • Analyzing a huge literature and selected good examples on Land Readjustment Implementations (LRi) • Gathering all experts on LRi thanks to face to face and online workshops • Determination of performance gaps of the Turkish LRi method with IPA based SWOT analysis • Development of LRi model to be applied in pilot regions • Gradual transition from area-based to value-based LRi including different applicable alternative methods [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecologically and socio-economically beneficial to cities, and covering a large fragment of land use pattern in developed countries, the green areas are under risk of zoning for building due to rapid and unplanned urbanization, policies aiming at rent and non-applicable zoning ordinances. Sufficiency of active green areas is validated with the standards of 10 m2 minimum green area per person in the Spatial Plans Regulation. While analyzing the green areas for recreational needs in the city, in addition to the spatial extent, some other criteria as the population served, location, walking distance, walking time, variety, functionality and aesthetics should also be taken into the account. Thus demands for improving the life quality in any terms in cities can be met and citizens are satisfied by a systematical planning of the green areas in accordance with these criteria. In this study, existing active green spaces in Avcilar district, which is located at western part of Istanbul, were evaluated in terms of their spatial extent, area per capita and accessibility regarding their service domains. The relationship between population density, active green areas and their service domains were examined using spatial analyses methods provided by the use of geographic information technologies. The results of the study outlined that the active green area per capita in Avcilar is 1.8 m2, significantly lower value than the accepted standards. Additionally, spatial extent of the active green areas is insufficient and their locations are messy with limited functionalities. The results clearly introduced that a comprehensive planning of green areas is urgently required in Avcilar for improving the prosperity of the local population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cemeteries are supportive parts of the urban green ecosystem due to cooling services that improve urban microclimate. This study aims to provide a quantitative understanding of internal-external cooling effects of cemeteries in Istanbul, high-density metropolitan area suffering from overheating and lack of greenspaces. There are 309 'cemeteries' of diverse shapes and sizes in Istanbul's urban landscape, covered by green elements, impervious surfaces, and water bodies. We conducted a six-stage methodology: sampling design including a taxonomy of patches in super-small/small/medium/large classes; calculation of land surface temperature (LST); determination of cool island intensity and cooling extent; measurements of landscape metrics; Ridge Regression Model iterations; and buffer distance sensitivity analyses in cooling gradients. The research found that cemeteries have remarkable cooling potential, with internal LST between 1.5 and 3 °C below LST urbanaverage. Cooling efficiency was sensitive to patch size and the building density around the green patches. Even though the influence of patch size on the cooling efficiency was stronger than the landscape patterns, the bigger was not always the better in regulating the thermal environment. Planning super-small/small green patches in high-density centres is a more practical and efficient way to regulate urban neighbourhoods in Istanbul. The study helps professionals for heat mitigation and thermal regulation in the urban environment through green space planning. • Cemeteries are crucial layers of urban green ecosystem with strong cooling services. • Buffer distance sensitivity tests the extent of green patches' cooling effect. • Cooling extent of urban green patches varies by patch size. • NDBI is the dominant factor in the cooling gradient of urban green patches. • Bigger green patches are not a requirement for moderating the urban climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the depletion of fossil fuel resources, interest in renewable energy sources is steadily increasing in the world. Turkey, is very rich in terms of its solar energy potential enabling it to use the sun as a means of generating energy. Thanks to marginal lands such as non-residential areas, agricultural areas and industrial areas, electricity production is provided by means of renewable energy sources. Since land is a scarce resource, optimal use of it is a spatial necessity. In developed societies its usage is determined in the environmental plan based on criteria related to industry, agriculture etc. and presented to decision makers for their approval. However, in these plans, natural energy potentials such as the sun and wind can often be ignored. This lack of planning hinders the effective utilization of the solar energy potential. A case study has been carried out to better understand this issue. The most commonly used Solar Power Plant criteria have been determined with the literature review, an informal interview with SPP experts and the authors' experiences and these criteria have been weighted with the Analytical Hierarchy Process method. A cost-surface map has been produced for the study area and the environmental plan has been associated with it. It has been determined that areas that have a very high solar energy potential in the cost-surface map have been planned for urban, commercial or different purposes in the environmental plans. In spite of the fact that the solar energy potential atlas shows the same solar potential for the study area, there are still huge differences in terms of solar energy potential among some regions in the study area. For this reason, it is not logical to build SPP facilities based only on the solar energy potential atlas. It is suggested to determine natural energy potential spatially throughout the country and consider it before the environmental plans are prepared. In addition, those wanting to research this subject are recommended to conduct studies in areas promoting alternative methods according to alternative site selection criteria including geographical and soil characteristics. • Interest in renewable energy sources is steadily increasing all over the world. • Although no information in environmental plan (EP), Turkey is rich in terms of solar energy potential. • Therefore, definition of solar energy potential on plans is essential for decision makers and investors. • It is aimed to compare the potential and EP in the study area by using GIS and AHP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Urban fabric could explain more than 70% of the SUHI formation. • NDVI and BCR have strong impacts on LST variations. • RRM solves the multicollinearity problem and increase the accuracy of model outputs. • Reorganization of the urban fabric with a twofold intervention approach helps SUHI mitigation. • Heat island impact assessment should be considered as a part of urban design process. Urban heat islands, one of the fundamental anthropogenic impacts on local climates, have been a growing concern especially for high-density urban areas such as Istanbul. This paper outlines the use of a supervised machine learning technique to understand the effects of the urban fabric on surface urban heat island (SUHI) formation in Istanbul, and identify effective variables to provide a basis for research and practice focusing on SUHI mitigation. An analysis using the Ridge Regression Model found that 71% of land surface temperature anomalies in Istanbul are linked to building coverage ratio (BCR), surface/volume ratio (SVR), sky-view factor (SVF), canyon geometry factor (CGF), and vegetation index (NDVI). NDVI and BCR were the urban fabric components with the highest contribution to SUHI formation, while the effects of SVF and CGF remained relatively low. This research can help planners and designers gauge the contribution of the urban fabric to micro-climate issues and adapt SUHI mitigation strategies for projects aiming to build climate-sensitive urban environments. It also provides insight into and improves knowledge of supervised machine learning approaches to the urban planning and design disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of the paper is to understand the spatial behavior and structure of coastal cities based on their socioeconomic development levels quantitatively. The geospatial metrics were used to describe the urban growth patterns in cities of İzmir, Kocaeli, Antalya, Tekirdağ, Mersin, Samsun, Çanakkale, Giresun, and Sinop in Turkey. The land-use data was obtained from satellite imagery of 1987s, 2000s, and 2015s. The results indicate that as the socioeconomic level of coastal cities increases, urban patterns become more complex and their centrality decreases. The linear growth along the road increases, while the linear growth along coast is decreasing. While the coastal city in the lower-level development has more dynamic behavior, the one in upper-level development has stabilized effects. The density, as a key policy indicator in urban spatial growth, has impressively contributed to the interpretation of the spatial behaviors. The results are significant for decision-makers to support appropriate strategies for sustainable land use and rethinking land use policies of coastal cities. • Coasts, as well as being a topographic threshold, are an attractive natural element driving urban growth. • The results indicate that the levels of socio-economic development in the coastal cities influence urban spatial growth. • Geospatial measurements provide a robust characterization of urban morphological structures and are useful for representing urbanization processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]