Tanzimat Reforms and Urban Transformations in Ottoman Port-Cities

The 19th century was a milestone for urban planning history of the Eastern Mediterranean region since the typology of the Ottoman city was reformed,more or less abruptly,by strong Western European influences as a consequence of broader political,economic,and social transformations.From the very beginning of the 19th century,the Ottoman state confronted significant administrative issues that raised in the importance to institutionalise reforms over a long period of time,representing the foundation of later urban“modernisation reforms”.These challenges of the Ottoman cities at that period coincided with one crucial reform framework known as“Tanzimat”,which reflected the social willingness to inherit elements of European culture,technological innovations,and lifestyle.According to that direction,urban space was considered as a workshop of planning regulations and reforms adopting principles of contemporary,at that time,European urban planning,mostly applied in England and France.These social and urban reforms established by the Ottoman state marked the first attempt to relate Ottoman cities with European planning,urban infrastructures,building regulations,and public administration.During the period of Tanzimat(1839-1876),the economic role and impact of cities was strengthened reflecting a rising urbanisation of population.This article highlights this“Europeanisation”of Ottoman cities at the period of Tanzimat by investigating five case-study cities:Smyrna,Beirut,Alexandria,Thessaloniki,and Constantinople.All these cities were important ports-hubs of the Eastern Mediterranean whose urban development since the 1840s was a direct consequence of the modernisation reforms and,in general,an increase of European influence.These urban reforms,like in many European cities,included new transport infrastructures and communication networks,public services(water,gas,tramways,etc.),health and education,and new industrial patterns.

Urban Waterfront: Subject of International Concern

Urban waterfronts are recognized as important formation elements of the social and urban identity of the city and as elements of their economic development.They constitute also a significant part of the city’s physiognomy.Approaching the port-cities by a historic and urbanistic perspective from the period of their initial development until approximately the end of the 18th century briefly,the reasons why the relationship between city and sea started to weaken are presented.There are records from the beginning of the 19th century that show the gradual severance of the city from its water element,followed by the intensification in the 20th century.The consequences of the Industrial Revolution on one hand and the World Wars on the other constituted the means of recognition for the need to be a simultaneous action not only for the layout of the space but also for its social and human contents,with a goal of improving the human environment(Benevolo,1990).Under these circumstances,the value of the waterfront was recognized,as far as the urban identity of the city is concerned.Furthermore,waterfronts were identified as an important factor for economic,social,and environmental overhaul of the cities.In this context of recognition,the rebuilding of the relationship between city and sea is attempted through focused interventions in urban waterfronts.In the end,the general goals and the tendencies of the waterfronts’redevelopments are presented.Moreover,the tactics of interventions as well as the effects of the initial transformations on waterfront cities are introduced.

Reuse of port industrial heritage in tourist cities:Shipyards as case studies

The progressive deindustrialisation of many western cities since the 1980s has led to many industrial zones linked to port activities being abandoned or falling into disuse.Cities such as Barcelona,Naples,Lisbon,Amsterdam,and Hamburg have port industrial complexes of high tangible and intangible heritage value that could totally or partially disappear,resulting in an irreparable loss of their scientific,architectural,social,technological,and historical values.With that in mind,Adaptive Reuse(AR)of the built heritage allows the industrial memory of the ports to be preserved by turning them into new functional centres within the existing urban structure.That occurs in the context of the contemporary challenges of those cities,such as touristification,the circular economy and climate change,while guaranteeing the life cycle of those buildings.This article analyses two case studies—the Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw Maatschappij(NDSM)and the Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij(RDM)shipyards,both in the Netherlands—in order to contribute to the knowledge of AR of Port Industrial Heritage.They are two examples of good practices in port industrial heritage interventions,where the factors behind their acclaim can be easily highlighted.A multi-scale methodology is therefore used and tailored to the case of port industrial heritage,based on analysing previous studies of the heritage in different spheres and on different scales.A relationship matrix tool is thus defined.It enables a comparative study to be conducted,using key variables and indicators,and considering qualitative and quantitative data.That provides extensive output information for each case study,which is summarised in the most favourable factors for the success of the AR of this port industrial heritage.

Strengthening Intera-ctionof City and Port to Promote Economic Development in Qinhuangdao

Based on the theory of relationship between port and city and the theory of life cycle of the interactive development between the port and city,this article analyses the present situation of Qinhuangdao harbor city interactive development,and gives the policy Suggestions aiming at the problems.