Universal Design Accessibility Criteria For The Sustainability Of The Historical Urban Sites

Abstract

Cities are the spatial reflection of cultural heritage and transfers historical values, local identity and urban life from past to present. Sustainable cities integrate the cultural heritage into city life by developing holistic strategies by protecting these values. Integrated designs in urban site areas which are important components of cultural heritage with the whole city gains importance for a better urban life and tourism. Streets, public areas and infrastructure integrated with universal design principles are not implemented enough in the site areas because of topographic problems and inadequacies in existing traditional areas. Nowadays, restoration and rehabilitation of urban site areas adapted with universal design approach, including disabled people has already been in the World Cities agendas. The prominent institutions at universal design ICOMOS, UNESCO and related departments of European Union supports the cities with agreements, guidelines and initiatives. In this study; the cities that are both in UNESCO’s World Heritage List and have won the EU Access City Awards are compared with the Turkish cities; Sulemania Region-Istanbul, Safranbolu- Karabük and Han’s Region- Bursa which are in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Universal design principles, ICOMOS and EU Access City Awards are synthesized in order to address the universal design accessibility criteria for the sustainability of the historical urban sites. These cities are analyzed under these criteria to discuss the inadequacies about accessibility under universal design principles in the selected Turkish cities. By doing this the importance of universal design integrated approaches are tired to be mentioned.