The talk focuses on comprehensive understanding of Ankara’s rural landscapes and their sustainable heritage management, utilizing Geographical Information Systems (GIS) as a key tool. It examines the spatio-temporal development of these landscapes, considering the impacts of political and administrative systems, transportation networks, land use patterns, settlement history, architectural characteristics, socio-cultural and economic activities, as well as the perceptual and emotional relationships that have shaped them.
This analysis aims to spatially identify multi-layered heritage values, challenges, and potentials, while also determining character and risk areas within Ankara’s rural territory. Additionally, it evaluates their historical continuity and change over the longue durée.
The information gathered from these analyses provides essential datasets for the sustainable management of Ankara’s rural landscapes. Using these datasets, a GIS-based information and decision support system is developed, integrating various types of data from literature, archival sources, and extensive field surveys. This system functions as a practical tool for sustainable heritage management, aiding policymakers in decision-making while providing valuable insights for future research, design, and heritage management of Ankara’s rural landscapes at various scales.
Biography:
Emine Çiğdem Asrav is a conservation architect and researcher. She received her B.Arch. and M.Sc. in Conservation of Cultural Heritage at Middle East Technical University (METU) and obtained her Ph.D. from the Architectural and Landscape Heritage Program at Politecnico di Torino in 2020. She recently concluded her Marie-Curie COFUND postdoctoral research project at METU and Politecnico di Torino, where she was involved in both teaching and research. She has participated in various national and international multi-disciplinary projects focusing on archaeological, modern, and rural heritage, post-disaster recovery, and site management of UNESCO World Heritage sites. As a member of ICOMOS Turkey and ICOMOS-ISSCL among other national and international organizations, her primary interests include multicultural heritage, landscape approaches, heritage management, and community-driven, place-based conservation. She has presented her research in numerous national and international conferences and published articles in different platforms. Currently, she works as an independent conservation architect and adjunct professor at METU.
