Public Space Lost in Translation/Transition: Missing Public Squares of Ankara

Abstract

Historically design, construction, emergence and socialisation of public spaces in urban areas represents a complex interplay between different actors, discourses and structures within urban planning, urban design and implementation phases. For this respect, a city is a layered and living archaeological site, in which public space is designed, realized, subjected to erosive influences and sometimes vanishes. Throughout history of cities, one can witness such trajectories for public spaces in terms of changing life styles, urban functions, tangible and intangible heritage values and assets. In order to capture a valid account of the memory of place in an urban area, such depictions are invaluable since they do not only help to get a retrospection of memory of place but also provide opportunities to foresee and design future of those places. In all nations, there are also diffusive experiences in terms of design and implementation that has been taken as a pioneer and example for other urban areas. The capital city of Ankara and its urban planning and design process after the establishment of Turkish Republic is a milestone in this regard. As a middle-sized Anatolian town, Ankara was planned in a contemporary fashion and as a symbolic example of Republican nation-state values and desired life style. Urban parks, open spaces and squares were an indispensable part of this understanding through which modern life style is experienced, witnesses and learnt. For this purpose, early planning efforts for the city of Ankara foresaw design and realization of a significant number of urban squares on main proposed boulevards such as Ataturk Boulevard. As can be observed in Ulus square of Zafer Square few of them have even been realized. Yet most of them remained in the drawing board, not implemented, filled with buildings or transformed into traffic junctures at best. The aim of this paper is to display, how the non[1]implementation, change of design and disappearance process of urban squares affects memory of place in the case of Ankara with respect to identification of future urban policies and design principles. For this purpose, archive data about urban planning and implementation will be used, supported by contributions of the bureaucrats and academicians working on the subject. The examples of Zafer Square and Ulus Heykel Square will be further elaborated.