Reflections of the Building-Scale Urban Transformation Process on Street and Avenue Life

Aydın Tiryaki (2025)

Rationales and Application Areas of Urban Transformation

Urban transformation projects are carried out due to the aging of buildings in cities and increasing earthquake risks. When this transformation is conducted collectively—that is, when a large number of buildings in a specific area are renovated simultaneously—that area turns into a construction site. Since there is no continuous life in the vicinity during construction, the effects on the daily lives of city dwellers remain indirect and limited.

However, urban transformation activities carried out on the basis of individual apartment buildings can lead to results that directly complicate daily life, especially for those living on those streets and avenues.

Stages of Urban Transformation in a Single Apartment Building

• Evacuation of the Building and Preparation: A period of intense moving activity begins in an apartment building, signaling that the building is entering urban transformation. Subsequently, window frames are removed, and roof tiles are taken down.
• Enclosing the Building Perimeter with Barriers: Once these initial works are completed, the perimeter of the apartment is enclosed with barriers, which are often constructed from salvaged doors. While some corporate construction companies use more organized barriers that also carry their advertisements, the common method is to surround the area with old doors.
• Demolition and Expansion of the Area: When the building reaches the demolition stage, the construction occupation zone expands onto the sidewalk and part of the road. During this period, the area is closed off for safety.
• Removal of Debris and the Waiting Period: Following demolition, the debris sometimes sits on-site for a few days, and sometimes for weeks. Noisy heavy machinery is used to sort through valuable materials. A portion of the sidewalk and the road remains closed; the sidewalk gets damaged, mud accumulates during rainy weather, and life becomes difficult.
• Truck Traffic and Long-Term Stagnation: As the debris is hauled away by trucks, heavy truck traffic occurs in the streets. Afterward, mostly due to bureaucratic or contractor-related reasons, construction begins only after a wait that sometimes exceeds six months or even a year. During this process, the sidewalks remain in a broken state.
• Foundation Excavation and New Risks: When construction finally begins, a deep excavation is made for at least one, and often two, floors of underground parking. If adequate precautions are not taken, risks arise for adjacent buildings. A portion of the sidewalk and the road remains under construction occupation; construction materials are piled here, and iron bars occupy at least one lane of the road.
• Progression of Construction and Continuous Occupation of Space: When the ground and basement floors are completed, construction materials continue to be stored in the occupied areas. During concrete pouring operations, street life is further affected by concrete pumps and machinery.
• Sidewalks Not Opened for Use: Even though it is possible to open the sidewalk for use by taking precautions once the basement floors are completed and the ground floor is reached, this is generally not done. Throughout a process that often exceeds two years, the sidewalk and a portion of the road remain closed.

Social Impacts of the Prolonged Urban Transformation Process

The temporary closure of the sidewalks in front of a single apartment building may seem insignificant. However, especially in old neighborhoods, urban transformation works are carried out in multiple buildings simultaneously; as soon as one construction ends, another begins, creating a construction atmosphere that lasts for many years in the streets. Consequently, those living in that area feel as if they are constantly living inside a construction site.

While it is accepted that the renewal of buildings is mandatory, the negative effects of this period can be alleviated through regulations that reduce the environmental impact of construction processes.

Solutions and Recommendations

In urban transformation works, the duration for which constructions can occupy streets and sidewalks, and at which stage the sidewalks should be reopened to pedestrians, must be clearly defined. In particular, the repair of the sidewalk after demolition should not be delayed and should be done quickly; sidewalks should be put into service properly as soon as possible during the construction process.

When construction firms do not act with sensitivity on this issue, municipalities must step in to implement regulations and, if necessary, undertake these works themselves and collect the costs. All these practices will ensure that city residents are minimally affected by urban transformation and will preserve the quality of city life. Furthermore, it is of great importance to complete the necessary legislation and infrastructure work for this.

In conclusion, the essential goal in a city is for people to lead a comfortable and peaceful life. Although some disturbances such as noise and dust from neighboring buildings are inevitable, the duration for which streets and sidewalks are occupied due to construction should be kept as short as possible, and the daily life of society should be affected at a minimum level.

Aydın Tiryaki Ankara, 29 November 2025

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A Note on Methods and Tools: The original Turkish version of this work was authored entirely by the author, without any assistance from artificial intelligence. (Note: AI was utilized solely as a translation and writing assistant to prepare this English version of the original text.)