Neighborhood Connection Density-Neighborhood Morphology Connection: The Case of Antalya Kaleiçi

Abstract

Can neighborhood boundaries be defined in terms of morphological and functional characteristics in cities that have developed different formations due to various influences in the historical process? While neighborhood units in planned settlements are pre-planned with an integrative approach, in unplanned traditional settlements, residences come together as pieces and ultimately form the settlement. In this study, which was carried out in Antalya-Kaleiçi, qualitative and quantitative research methods were used. In the study, the neighborhood formation system was discussed based on the hierarchical structure. A set of buildings including residences that are next to and opposite a residence and directly open into a shared urban space is defined as the neighborhood cell of that residence. The functional relationships among residential elements were defined as neighborhood connections, and a method to determine neighborhood connection density was developed. In morphological development, an arrangement involving religious buildings accepted as focal points, neighborhood cells of different degrees forming around them, neighborhood blocks of different degrees belonging to neighborhood cells of different degrees, and neighborhood units formed out of neighborhood blocks was observed. It is understood that the density of neighborhood connections is influenced by the number of residences defining neighborhood cells, the number of connection points between residences such as building doors and gates, and the spatial sizes of neighborhood spaces in which neighborhood connections take place. In other words, the tendency for dense neighborhood connections emerges in areas with more residences and connections but low square footage area. This situation was considered a reflection of the relationship between the morphological and functional structures. It was concluded that unplanned traditional neighborhood units were formed in a way that did not show the self-sustaining and enclosed character of planned residential units, and this structure was a characteristic that should be taken as an example and maintained in terms of settlement culture.