Istanbul Municipality Research Articles

Factors affecting travelers' satisfaction with rail transit systems

Ensuring a high traveller satisfaction level in public transportation systems is a vital goal for managers and decision-makers working for municipalities/city governments. Accordingly, traveling service providers need to recurrently assess the quality of their service to determine its adequacy and effectiveness. Providing public transportation services to millions of people, Istanbul Municipality conducts regular surveys to assess the perception of Istanbulers on the quality of public transportation. In this study, we analysed the data obtained from one of these surveys administered to people who use the rail transit lines. We particularly focused on the set of questions that covers the following five dimensions: comfort, fee, safety, accessibility, and overall travel satisfaction. Using the structural equation model, we explored the effects of comfort, fee, safety, and accessibility on travellers’ overall satisfaction with the rail transit lines. Based on the results, we found that travellers’ perceived level of comfort, accessibility, and fee affordability has a significant effect whereas the perceived level of safety does not have a significant effect on travelers’ general satisfaction with the rail transit lines.

THE TRACE OF TURKISH-HUNGARIAN FRIENDSHIP: THE OPENING OF ‘MACAR KARDEŞLER CADDESI’

The inauguration of ‘Macar Kardeşler Caddesi (Hungarian Brothers Boulevard)’ in Fatih district, Istanbul, in 1917 was an important initiative for the improvement of the neighbourhoods that suffered from fires there and a symbol of Turkish-Hungarian friendship. In light of the fact that the Hungarians, an ally in World War I, had inaugurated an avenue in Budapest named for the Ottoman Sultan of that time, the Istanbul Municipality went into action and took the decision to bestow this name on an avenue stretching from Saraçhane Park to Millet Library. This area encompassed a small portion of the quarter of the city that was largely destroyed by the Çırçır Harik (Çırçır Fire) on 23 August 1908. Although the Istanbul Municipality announced the inauguration of Macar Kardeşler Caddesi with a decision dated 28 March 1916, construction of the avenue took time and finally became a reality thanks to the Ottoman State’s Consul General in Budapest, who continually kept the matter of the Municipality’s decision on the agenda. Macar Kardeşler Caddesi was opened in a ceremony attended by Turkish and Hungarian officials but the Istanbul public showed little interest in the ceremony. Even though the matter was somewhat important to the local public because of the expropriation actions taking place during the rehabilitation of the burned-out areas, people were living under extraordinary wartime conditions so the issues of city improvement and Turkish-Hungarian friendship were not considered particularly urgent.

An Optimization Focused Machine Learning Approach in Analysing Arts Participative Behavior with Fine Arts Education Considerations

Fine arts education constitutes an important value for the development of nations, countries and geographies. In literature it is seen that societies and nations that give importance to fine arts, other art forms with respective education programs and agendas seem to be more developed in the fierce competitive environments. It is a known fact that art forms enhance the creativity of individuals as well as developing questioning skills and empathy. Therefore cultural plans, programs and agendas handled in the cultural ministry or similar levels should always be considered as a chance for investments made for the development of individuals and society at large. Therefore enough budgets for cultural programs should be maintained. Academic and pre-university degree art programs should be designed and formed in response to the changes and developments in the contemporary art world. Graduates should also be prepared in these programs to the career paths that they want to follow in these areas. Understanding the domain of art marketing as well as implementing marketing strategies, plans, programs in every level in this context can be helpful in enlarging the arts market which means creating more jobs and employment opportunities for more actors and actresses. Qualification of these talents should also be supported with academical or nonacademical artistic education forms. In this study theatres located in Istanbul Municipality and theatre participation behavior has been analyzed with recent machine learning trends and approaches available in data mining literature with the aim of enhancing exploratory and confirmatory understanding in such domains as theater, entertainment and art marketing with the aim of providing some insights and ideas to the arts community, leaders and society at large.

İstanbul Belediyesinin 1941 Yılında Yaptığı Türk Mûsikîsi İmtihanı Bağlamında Bir Değerlendirme

Turkish music was adversely affected by the Westernization movements that started in the recent times of the Ottoman Empire and entered a more difficult period with the decision to be removed from the official educational institutions during the early Republic period (1926). Due to the education gap that emerged with this decision of the Turkey Rebuplic State, Turkish Classical Music artists remained far from the principle of knowledge and method. As a matter of fact, the "non-methodical tradition" that spread among the vocal and instrumental artists working on radio and public musical places was shown as one of the reasons why Turkish Classical Music fell out of favor. From the end of the 19th century until the ban on Turkish Classical Music on radios in 1934, Turkish Classical music has become a field suitable for incompetence in performance. In 1941, the decision of the Istanbul Municipality to test the Turkish Classical Music artists who work in public musical places in order to determine the competent Turkish music artists, has been the focus of many negative or positive reactions in the public opinion. In this study, the process of being tested for Turkish Classical Music artists, what happened during the exam process and the flows of this exam in the community of music will be evaluated comparatively. In addition, some ideas about this exam and Turkish Music education will be put forward in the conclusion section.

The impact of obesity and nutrition habits on gynecomastia among Turkish adolescent males

<br><b>Introduction:</b> Gynecomastia (GM) during adolescence is quite common and represents a serious psychological challenge among young males. Obesity is also one of the major public health problems affecting an important proportion of the population. We studied the relationship between nutritional habits, body mass index (BMI), and GM of adolescent males. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> In this study, we report an analysis of the incidence of GM and its relationship with nutrition habits and BMI among 511 randomly selected high-school students between 16 and 18 years of age from schools located in Pendik municipality of Istanbul. <b>Results:</b> We found the incidence of GM of 33.3% (<i>n</i> = 170) in 511 high-school boys of whom 24.8% (<i>n</i> = 127) were classified overweight or obese. Although the mean BMI for the entire group was within the normal range (22.8 ± 4.4), it was significantly higher in boys with GM compared to the boys without GM, 26.8 ± 4.5 vs. 20.7 ± 2.5, respectively (<i>P</i> < 0.001). In addition, boys with stage 2 and higher degree GM had higher BMI compared to those with stage 1 GM, 29.2 ± 4.5 vs. 24.8 ± 3.3, respectively (<i>P</i> < 0.001). We, thereby, observed a clear positive correlation between BMI and GM. <b>Conclusion:</b> GM in high-school boys is closely correlated with overweight and obesity. Precautions should be taken to increase awareness of this global health concern to develop comprehensive public health strategies to improve the prevention and management of obesity and related complications like GM.<br>

Bosphorus Coastal Road and Settlements Between Beşiktaş and Bebek in 1939 Plan

PurposeThe aim of the study is to question whether this plan, which was signed by Henri Prost and showing the settlements between Beşiktaş and Bebek on the European side of the Bosphorus in detail and explains them in cross-sections, is implemented or not, and to reveal the effect of the plan on the formation of current state of the Bosphorus coasts. In the study, which decisions are taken during the planning process are also questioned.Design/Methodology/ApproachIn the study, the city centers of Beşiktaş, Ortaköy, Arnavutköy, Kuruçeşme, Bebek and the settlements between them and the conditions of the coastal road before, in and after 1939 are examined with the help of maps and aerial photographs. With the aerial photographs that have survived until today, the physical change of the urban texture over time and its current situation are also revealed.FindingsAs a result of the examination, it was determined that most of the plan, which was approved in 1939, was implemented between 1956-1958, during the Menderes period. In this process, many settlements lost their original urban texture, historical structures, and architectural identities. It can be said that the seeds of the pile road, which was built during the Dalan period and cut the connection of the mansions with the sea, was planted with this plan. It was also possible to obtain some clues about the planning approach of the Prost period from this plan. Accordingly, it can be listed as opening squares, turning dead-end streets into streets, widening the streets, and cleansing industrial-related spaces from the coastline. The fact that these plan decisions are encountered in other regions of Istanbul during the Prost period, suggests that although Prost did not draw the 1939 plan, it had a share in its design.Research Limitations/ImplicationsDue to the lack of a clear aerial photograph or map after 1939 until 1955, the year in which the changes foreseen in this plan were applied could not be determined clearly, and the time interval was stated.Originality/ValueThis plan, being one of the first steps of the Bosphorus coastal regulations on the European side, is an original document that has not been evaluated in previous research. This plan was drawn when Henri Prost was working as an urban planning specialist in the Istanbul Municipality Zoning Directorate and it bears the signature of Prost's approval.

Construction Grant For Ebniye Master Builders In The Late Ottoman Era

The renovations/regulations in the institutional structure of Ottoman State that started with the Tanzimat Era required/ brought out a novel organization. In the process, Hassa Mimarlar Ocağı (The Corps of Royal Architects), the active institution of the Ottoman architecture during the classical period and till the early 19th century, gave its place to the Ebniye İdaresi (Directorate of Buildings), handing over all sorts of building and construction works to the Şehremaneti (Istanbul Municipality). Henceforth, with new regulations at certain intervals, the Ebniye Kanunları (Building Laws) were introduced in an effort to inspect the construction activities. As the most eminent figures of the era, Ebniye master builders became responsible for all stages of construction production processes within the architectural activities. Despite the fact that educated architects started to emerge together with the introduction of the first architecture school, both local and non-Muslim contractors, architects and master builders from abroad remained as the dominant actors till the early 20th century due to the scarcity of schooled ones.&nbsp; This study reviews the qualitative issues of the ebniye master builders who carried out the construction processes of civil and state buildings, with samples from central and provincial cases based on a number of documents found in the Ottoman Archives. Quality and standard issues in the construction materials of the era together with the troublesome construction activities causing technical and financial problems between the master builders and employers were cited by certain contemporary master builders. As a result of the petitions of master builders stating their troubles and proposed solutions, and the efforts of the Şehremaneti (Istanbul Municipality), it was decided that a şehadetname (construction building testimonial) would be issued to ebniye masterbuilders; however, the method was abandoned after its application for a while.

Https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/1028049

Magazine publishing activities in Turkey started during the Tanzimat reform era. Magazines of that period were mostly publishing organs of scientific societies. Istanbul Sehremaneti Magazine, which was launched in 1924, was largely published thanks to the efforts of cultural historian Osman Nuri Ergin and the name would later be changed to Istanbul Belediye Mecmuasi (Istanbul Municipal Magazine). The magazine is of great importance since it is Turkey’s first municipal magazine. It reflects the social, administrative, economical, scientific and architectural structure of the period in detail and shows that urbanization that started in the Ottoman era in the 19th century in its modern sense continued rapidly into the Republican period. At a time when the West was adopted as an example while protecting the past and historical values, there were many activities in terms of city planning and municipal works. One activity area was the field of water, which is undoubtedly a fundamental human need. The magazine examines water and water structures in both municipal and architectural aspects and we can also find information about the availability of water, construction of water structures and water lines, and renovation of old water lines and structures. Waterrelated studies of Western origin were also published in the magazine, which shows that the West was a source of inspiration in this respect. This study examines 51 issues of Istanbul Sehremaneti Magazine published in Arabic alphabet between the years 1924-1928 before the adoption of the Latin alphabet and all the content related to water in these issues was identified. The obtained data was studied to reveal the water culture, water architecture and water policies in the early years of the Republic and to provide information about the importance attached by the municipality to the water issue and its water works. The study attempts to show through the water issue that Istanbul Municipality entered a rapid renewal period both by benefiting from different ideas from the West and by protecting its own cultural elements.

Preserving the Knowledge of the Past Through Virtual Visits: From 3D Laser Scanning to Virtual Reality Visualisation at the Istanbul \xc7atalca \u0130nce\u011fiz Caves

Cultural landscapes are those that are shaped through the combined forces of cultural and natural activity, typically over a long period that may reach back to historic and prehistoric times. Amongst these, the documenting, modelling and visualisation of cave landscapes have always been particularly important for scientific communities such as speleology. In the current state of the art, terrestrial laser scanning provides a level of documentation of objects whose accuracy cannot be achieved by conventional methods. In addition to the highly accurate metric and geometric information, visual information brings incredible richness to the presentation of data. Virtual reality (VR) allows individuals to immerse themselves within virtual environments to explore monuments and other cultural heritage sites up close. More and more, VR systems are available at lower prices and are not only limited to VR labs. In this paper, we present research on the generation of a virtual 3D model of the İnceğiz caves, located at the Çatalca district of Istanbul, Turkey, and its integration within the Unity 3D game engine. This project, carried out as a collaboration between BİMTAŞ, a company of the Greater Municipality of Istanbul, Turkey and the Photogrammetry & Laser Scanning Lab of the HafenCity University Hamburg, Germany, aimed at developing an immersive and interactive VR visualisation of the cave for the HTC Vive Pro VR system. The entire workflow, from data acquisition to VR visualisation, is described here in detail with particular emphasis given to the 3D modelling of the cave and its integration within a VR environment.

A Multi-Objective Stochastic Model for an Earthquake Relief Network

Earthquake relief network involves storage and distribution of relief aid to people in need. In this paper, a new stochastic multi-objective mixed integer mathematical model is developed and implemented in Kadikoy municipality of Istanbul, Turkey in order to configure part of the earthquake relief network. The aim of the model is to help decision makers decide on the locations of storage areas for shelters pre-earthquake and distribution of shelters from these areas to temporary shelter areas post-earthquake while minimizing earthquake scenario-specific total expected distribution distance, total expected earthquake damage risk factor of storage areas and expected total penalty cost related to unsatisfied demand at temporary shelter areas, simultaneously. In the model, storage area capacity and coverage distance restrictions are taken into consideration. The data related to potential storage areas and shelter locations were obtained from Kadikoy municipality of Istanbul and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM). The earthquake damage risk factors were determined based on possible earthquake scenarios given in Japan International Cooperation Agency’s (JICA) report. Four event scenarios with two different earthquake scenario likelihoods were considered and sample efficient solutions from the Pareto frontier were obtained implementing the normalized (scaled) weighted sum method.

THE MUSIC OF THE ENLIGHTENED AND ROMANTIC NATIONAL COMPOSER OF HÜSEYİN SADETTİN AREL; TURKISH MUSIC

<p class="ql-align-justify">During his studies in Istanbul Municipality Conservatory, of which he was the chairman of scientific board in 1943, and afterwards in Advanced Turkish Music Conservatory Association, of which he was the founder, Hüseyin Sadettin Arel (1880-1955) tried to develop a perspective that would conform to the principles of scientific discourse and gain validity. In this respect, he aimed at presenting a musical perspective, which can be shared on the level of pedagogical education by the citizens of nation-state and can provide a basis for raising composers, who are competent in addressing to the feelings of people by taking into account the central position of man. This perspective for Arel, is a guarantee of building a musical basis, which would raise individuals to the top of artistic creation in a way. Arel based the music he called as “Turkish Music” on laws of nature by means of its interactions with positivist and rational frequencies and on historical grounds and progress-development mottos by means of its interactions with idealistic and romantic frequencies. Even the feeling of love he has towards Turkish music, which can be defined in mystical terms, is in interaction with this relational ground. Therefore, he stated that Turkish music is more compliant with harmony with its maqam structure, compared to other kinds of music in the world including Western music (which is especially determined in form and content by the “note” as European musical writing used currently). The only authority on the creation platform of ‘Turkish music’, having the said qualities, is the composer, who incorporates national sensitivities. The music of this composer, ‘Turkish music’, is one of the phenomena in which the new experienced social and individual perspective is being interacted. The point of emphasis for the article in question is the requirement to evaluate the said music on the level of Arel’s thinking-acting grounds and social-individual relationships.&nbsp;

VIRTUALISING AN OTTOMAN FORTRESS – LASER SCANNING AND 3D MODELLING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTERACTIVE, IMMERSIVE VIRTUAL REALITY APPLICATION

Abstract. “A picture is worth a thousand words”: a famous quote about knowledge dissemination but also literally true. The documentation of cultural heritage (CH) monuments is carried out by measurements and photos and stored in 3d models – not by textual information alone. So what could be a more straightforward way to inform the public about CH than visual information? This approach can be extended not only by providing static images or videos from predefined angles but by giving the user the opportunity to interactively explore the virtual representation and interact with the scene. Recent advances in contemporary Virtual Reality (VR) have made it available to more people as prices have dropped. New devices have entered the market so that VR is not limited to VR labs, but is available even at home. With modern head-mounted displays the user can immerse himself in the virtual CH monument to explore and interact with it. Game engines offer tools for rapid development of interactions and help to produce visually appealing worlds.In this paper is presented the generation of a virtual 3D model of Rumeli Hisarı, an Ottoman fortress at the Bosporus in Istanbul, Turkey (Fig. 1) and its processing for data integration into the game engine Unity. The project has been carried out as a co-operation between BİMTAŞ, a company of the Greater Municipality of Istanbul, Turkey and the Photogrammetry &amp;amp; Laser Scanning Lab of the HafenCity University Hamburg, Germany with the aim of a VR application for an immersive and interactive visualisation of the fortress using the VR system HTC Vive. The workflow from data acquisition to VR visualisation, including the necessary programming for navigation, is described. Furthermore, the possible use (including simultaneous multiple users environments) of such a VR visualisation for a CH monument is discussed.

Clustering Approach Using Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm for Healthcare Waste Disposal Facility Location Problem

In this study, an Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) based clustering algorithm is proposed for solving continuous multiple facility location problems. Unlike the original version applied to multivariate data clustering, the ABC based clustering here solves the two-dimensional clustering. On the other hand, the multiple facility location problem the proposed clustering algorithm deals with is aimed to find site locations for healthcare wastes. After applying ABC based clustering algorithm on test data, a real-world facility location problem is solved for identifying healthcare waste disposal facility locations for Istanbul Municipality. Geographical coordinates and healthcare waste amounts of Istanbul hospitals are used to decide the locations of sterilization facilities to be established for reducing the medical waste generated. ABC based clustering is performed for different number of clusters predefined by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, and the total cost—the amount of healthcare waste produced by a hospital, multiplied by its distance to the sterilization facility—is calculated to decide the number of facilities to be opened. Benchmark results with four algorithms for test data and with two algorithms for real world problem reveal the superior performance of the proposed methodology.

Bud and Leaf Diseases of Some Woody Plants in Some Private and Public Nurseries of Istanbul

This study was carried out between the years 2007-2008 and 2017-2018, embraces a number private and public nurseries including those in the Municipality of Istanbul and some of the local administrations, as well as administered by the Ministry of Forestry. 91 types of infectious disease factors have been determined in the nurseries. The study, conducted in four seasons, has revealed various plant diseases such as anthracnose, fungus blight, corrosion and decomposition, respectively. Despite being few in numbers, five different diseases related to 11 bacteria and three types of virus were also seen. Besides the infectious diseases, 5 types of non-infectious diseases on 11 plants were discovered.

Osmanlı Devlet Adamlarından Hacı Âdil Bey’in II. Meşrutiyet Dönemindeki Faaliyetleri / Activities of Hacı Âdil Bey, who is the Ottoman Statesmen, in the Second Constitutional Period

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Abstract &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Haci Adil (Arda) Bey, born in Lovech in 1869, was an important politician and jurist who held important positions in government offices both in the Ottoman Empire and in the Republic of Turkey. Throughout his career as a government official, which he started as a customs official in Yemen in 1890, he took several government offices in Yemen, Istanbul, and Thessaloniki for about 20 years and was inducted as the Governor of Edirne a short while after the proclamation of the Second Constitutionalist Period. Taking office as a senior manager within the party of Union and Progress following assume of governor of Edirne office, lasted for about a year, Haci Adil was appointed as Interior minister in 1912. He continued to hold critical offices during the Turco-Italian War, Balkan War and the First World War while the government was having hard times. He became interior minister once again in the government formed after the Sublime Porte Raid in 1913. HE was appointed as the governor of Edirne once again after the city was taken back during the Balkan War II, and held the office of chairperson of the Ottoman Parliament between the years 1915 and 1918. Arrested and exiled to Malta after end of First World War, Haci Adil lived the life of an exile abroad between the years 1919 and 1922. Returning home after his captivity in Malta, Haci Adil held the offices of the Governor of Adana and Bursa, lectured at the Ottoman University Darülfünun, and represented country on international courts. Haci Adil, who also held offices in Istanbul Municipality, died in 1935.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This study gives information on the political and administrative activities of Haci Adil, who was one of the members of the headquarter of party of Union and Progress, during the Second Constitutional Period based on archive documents. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Öz&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;1869 yılında Lofça’da dünyaya gelen Hacı Âdil (Arda) Bey, hem Osmanlı Devleti hem de Türkiye Cumhuriyeti zamanında mühim devlet görevlerinde bulunmuş önemli bir siyasetçi ve hukuk adamıdır. 1890 yılında Yemen’de gümrük memuru olarak başladığı devlet hizmetinde yaklaşık 20 yıl süre ile Yemen, İstanbul ve Selanik’te çeşitli memuriyetler üstlenmiş, II. Meşrutiyet’in ilanından kısa bir süre sonra Edirne Valisi olarak atanmıştır. Yaklaşık bir yıl süren Edirne Valiliği görevinden sonra İttihat ve Terakki Fırkası içerisinde üst düzey yöneticilik görevi alan Hacı Âdil Bey, 1912 yılında Dâhiliye Nâzırlığı’na getirilmiştir. Trablusgarp Savaşı, Balkan Savaşı ve I. Dünya Savaşı yıllarında devletin zor günlerinde kritik görevler almaya devam eden Hacı Âdil Bey 1913 yılında Bâb-ı Âlî Baskını sonrasında kurulan hükûmette bir kez daha Dâhiliye Nâzırı olmuş, II. Balkan Savaşı sırasında Edirne’nin geri alınmasının ardından bir kez daha bu şehre vali olarak atanmış, 1915-1918 yılları arasında da Meclis-i Mebusan Reisliği görevini yürütmüştür. I. Dünya Savaşı’nın sona ermesinin ardından tutuklanan ve Malta’ya sürgüne gönderilen Hacı Âdil Bey, 1919-1922 yılları arasında yurtdışında sürgün hayatı yaşamıştır. Malta esareti sonrasında yurda dönen Hacı Âdil Bey, Adana ve Bursa valilikleri görevlerinde bulunmuş, Dârülfünûn’da dersler vermiş ve uluslararası mahkemelerde ülkemizi temsil etmiştir. İstanbul Belediyesi’nde de görevler üstlenen Hacı Âdil Bey 1935 yılında vefat etmiştir.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Söz konusu çalışmada İttihat ve Terakki Fırkası’nın merkez-i umumi azalarından olan Hacı Âdil Bey’in II. Meşrutiyet dönemindeki siyasî-idarî faaliyetleri hakkında arşiv belgeleri ekseninde bilgiler verilmektedir. &lt;/p&gt;

THE SELIMIYE MOSQUE OF EDIRNE, TURKEY – AN IMMERSIVE AND INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL REALITY EXPERIENCE USING HTC VIVE

Abstract. Recent advances in contemporary Virtual Reality (VR) technologies are going to have a significant impact on veryday life. Through VR it is possible to virtually explore a computer-generated environment as a different reality, and to immerse oneself into the past or in a virtual museum without leaving the current real-life situation. For such the ultimate VR experience, the user should only see the virtual world. Currently, the user must wear a VR headset which fits around the head and over the eyes to visually separate themselves from the physical world. Via the headset images are fed to the eyes through two small lenses. Cultural heritage monuments are ideally suited both for thorough multi-dimensional geometric documentation and for realistic interactive visualisation in immersive VR applications. Additionally, the game industry offers tools for interactive visualisation of objects to motivate users to virtually visit objects and places. In this paper the generation of a virtual 3D model of the Selimiye mosque in the city of Edirne, Turkey and its processing for data integration into the game engine Unity is presented. The project has been carried out as a co-operation between BİMTAŞ, a company of the Greater Municipality of Istanbul, Turkey and the Photogrammetry &amp;amp; Laser Scanning Lab of the HafenCity University Hamburg, Germany to demonstrate an immersive and interactive visualisation using the new VR system HTC Vive. The workflow from data acquisition to VR visualisation, including the necessary programming for navigation, is described. Furthermore, the possible use (including simultaneous multiple users environments) of such a VR visualisation for a CH monument is discussed in this contribution.

Are There Women Out There?

Are There Women Out There?

Simulation-based Variable Speed Limit Systems Modelling: An Overview and A Case Study on Istanbul Freeways

Abstract: Modern transportation systems aim at maximizing the use of available resources in a sustainable manner to deliver efficient and safe movement of traffic. Variable Speed Limit (VSL) system is one of the techniques adopted in order to improve mobility. In this study, we analyse this system using simulation techniques on a 5.2 kilometre section of Istanbul Freeway D100. Being one of the most congested cities in the world, Istanbul freeways provide an excellent opportunity to test the potential benefits of VSL systems. Latest advancements along with comprehensive literature of this field based on simulation are included in this study. Microscopic traffic simulation software VISSIM is used along with MATLAB to implement VSL algorithm based on volume, occupancy and average speed. Remote Traffic Microwave Sensor (RTMS) data is provided by Istanbul municipality which is used to calibrate VISSIM.Scenarios with and without VSL system were simulated for morning hours. It is concluded that driver compliance to VSLs is an important factor for better results. Although 100% driver Compliance Level (CL) for VSL results in significantly higher improvement in performance compared to lower compliance, it is not a practical approach therefore results at 75% and 50% CL has been discussed in this study. Evaluation of network performance is done in terms of Total Travel Time (TTT) in network along with volume, speed and occupancy. Results show reduction in TTT and occupancy level along with improvement in average speed and volume. Fuel consumption and emissions is also found to be reduced in the network indicating sustainable and environmental friendly mobility.

They … to Play

This paper seeks to present an historical overview of the Studio Players’ Beckett productions in Turkey in the 1990s, with the purpose of discussing the playwright’s role for the director Sahika Tekand during the development of her “performative staging and acting” method. After examining the Studio Players’ Oedipus Trilogy (2002/2004/2006), with which the ensemble achieved international recognition, the article will conclude with a focus on a Beckett production—Play (2012)—that Tekand directed in the Istanbul Municipality Theatre for the Istanbul Theatre Festival, so as to provide an account of the director’s first experience in working with actors outside her company.

The trees in Gezi Park: environmental policy as the focus of democratic protests

ABSTRACTThe protests that took place across Turkey in the summer of 2013 started as a bottom-up response to the plans of the government and Istanbul municipality to build a shopping mall on a small yet symbolic park in the cultural heart of the city. Taking the name of this point of origin, Gezi Park protests have quickly turned into a countrywide resistance movement against the hyper-developmentalist environmental and urban policies of the government, and the authoritarian tendencies of PM (now President) Tayyip Erdoğan. The movement unified opposition from all sides of the political spectrum, and transformed not only environmental discourses and policy-making but also the language in Turkish politics. Using Laclauian discourse theory and 25 semi-structured interviews with protesters and opinion leaders, this article documents how environmental policy has become the focus of popular dissent and analyses the signifiers around which the resistance has emerged. The hegemonic struggles between the government and the protestors and the lasting effects of the protests are critically discussed, to scrutinise the increasingly focal place of environmental discourses in the global conjuncture.