Planning practice and academic knowledge: different perspectives of urban planners in Turkey

ABSTRACT

This empirical study discusses the relationship between theory and practice in planning in Turkey. Drawing on the perspectives of private office planners, municipal planners, and academicians, this paper contributes to research into the relationship between academic knowledge and practice in urban planning. The study argues that planning practice in Turkey does not match very well to current approaches or new conceptual discussions about planning. By focusing on the relationship between theory and practice, this study explores the relationship between academic knowledge and planning practice and why there is a disconnection in Turkey. The first reason is the lack of communication and cooperation between the three groups of planners. Secondly, planning in Turkey is dominated by outdated laws, rules, and regulations and current theoretical discussions cannot infiltrate planning practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Planning practice in Turkey
• urban planning process
• private planning offices
• municipality and planning
• academia and planning

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 This paper is produced thanks to the financial support of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University (Project no: 20-04).

2 Throughout this article, I will call ‘planners’ people who are graduated from an urban and regional planning department and who have authority to make urban plans according to the Regulation for the Qualification of the People entitled to Carry Out Planing Work.

3 Five-Year Developmental Plans are comprehensive reports defining economic, social, and spatial goals guiding local plans and programs, although they do not always include spatial schemes.

4 Under Law No. 5393, every municipality can establish city councils to improve participation. City councils can define various assemblies depending on the city’s needs (youth assembly, disabled persons’ assembly, etc.).

5 Information on amendments to the carnet regulation prior to 1969 is inaccessible (Öktem Ünsal and Aksümer 2021)

6 Field teams are groups of (especially young) planners who only work for a limited time on the field study of a planning process by conducting surveys or collecting other data. They do not often participate in decision-making.

7 See the Regulation on Principles and Procedures regarding Preparation, Display, Implementation and Owners of Conservative Development Plans And Land Use Projects, Article 17

8 The problem which is emerged in the planning system because of the pressure applied by the politicians is put forth in another paper published in European Planning Studies Journal. (Öktem Ünsal, 2022)

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Mimar Sinan fine arts university [grant number 2020-04].