Page 162 - Çevre Şehir İklim İngilizce - Sayı 2

The Contribution Of Reuse Of Historical Buildings
For The Urban Resilience: The Case Of Manisa Kurşunlu Han

There isn’t a generally accepted definition for the concept of resilience.
Depending on the range of its use, the word is gaining new meanings. The term
was used in environmental science first by Holling in 1973 to mean “the ability
to meet deterioration and change without losing the relationship between the
elements that formed it before it deteriorated” (Holling, 1973: 14).
The current ecological phenomena have increased the use of concept of
resilient in urban studies. The concept is largely related to sustainability in urban
studies and discussed within urban planning approach in terms of climate
change and disaster risks. It is aimed to create urban resilience through the
planning of cities before and after they experience environmental disasters.
When the concept of resilience is studied in relation to sustainability, economic
development and governance goals, it is clear that creating urban resilience
plays an essential role in the planning of a city in terms of the capacity of the
urban system to transfer data and resources (Desouza and Flanery, 2013: 89).
The primary topics that stand out in creating urban resilience are design,
planning and governance. The concept of resilience is used in the context of its
relationship with concepts such as sustainability, vulnerability, adaptation, etc.
Although resilience and sustainability are considered similar in some sources,
the emphasis on challenging the lacks/ insufficiencies are clearer in the concept
of “resilience” than in sustainability and sustainable development. Reverse
sustainability refers only to be sufficient enough to survive. Resilience is used
in a larger sense as it has stronger ties to safety compared to sustainability
(Kavanoz, 2020: 7).

b. Urban Resilience

The uncertainties brought about by the 21 century have rendered scientists
st
unable to predict what risks await the world. Earthquakes, floods, terrorist
attacks, destruction of environment, the decrease in the already scarce
resources, climate change, socio-political Instabilities or the recent pandemic
all seen as the results of these uncertainties. With their large populations,
cities are considered to be places with the highest risks. To manage all these
risks, the concept of “urban resilience” is placed at the very center of urban
policies (Gülhan, 2022).
From the 1950s on, urban population has rapidly increased around the
world. 30% of the world population was living in cities in 1950 while as of 2020,
this percentage reached 57%. It is estimated that in 2030, 60% of the world
population, and in 2050, about 70% of the world population will be living in
the cities (Gerçek, 2021: 42).

Year 1 / Issue 2 / July 2022 148