Comparative Analysis of Spatial Outputs in Thematic Planning Approaches: A Case Study of Van–Edremit

Abstract

In the twenty-first century, urban areas have become the intersection of climate change, uncontrolled demographic mobility, technological transformations, and increasingly deepening socio-economic polarizations. This complexity challenges the rational-comprehensive and static methods of the traditional city planning discipline. Especially in regions like Van-Edremit, where the sensitivity of coastal ecology coexists with seismic risks and the pressures of urbanization created by rapid migration, "one-size-fits-all" planning solutions remain inadequate in establishing urban resilience and social justice.The fundamental inquiry of this study focuses on flexible and strategic solution seeking offered by thematic planning approaches against the limitations of conventional planning methods in managing these complex urban dynamics. The primary argument of the study is that approaching the same urban space through different theoretical lenses—Resilience, Just City, and Eco-City—fundamentally alters the spatial configuration, strategic land-use decisions, and transportation hierarchy.In this context, three different thematic master development plan scenarios at a scale of 1/5000, developed for the Van-Edremit region within the scope of a studio course at the Siirt University Department of City and Regional Planning, were analyzed comparatively based on criteria such as urban form, equipment distribution performance, transportation network hierarchy, and spatial justice. This article discusses the effectiveness of the scenario-based method in planning education and the potential of thematic planning as a research tool in applied sciences, specifically within the case of Van-Edremit. © Bu çalışma MAS.