Conservation and change in planning practice

the method of morphological regionalization

Abstract

Balancing conservation and change of the physical form of cities is a key challenge for planning. Supported on a thorough understanding of the main socioeconomic and environmental needs and aspirations of a city and on the fundamental characteristics of its physical form, spatial planning should offer a framework to promote the conservation of structural physical elements while allowing change of less persistent elements. In many cases, planning fails to provide such framework. The paper addresses this major problem. It is argued that one of the main reasons for failure is the lack of scientific support to planning practice. To address this weakness, the paper proposes a revised version of the method of morphological regionalization. The method was designed by M.R.G. Conzen in the early 1960s and subsequently applied over the next decades by several academics in different geographical and cultural settings. This revised version of the method offers a systematic definition of procedural options and steps, a clear usage of terminology, and a strong linkage to the historico-geographical approach, supporting the creation of a new framework to understand conservation and change. The method is applied into a city with a unique urban history, Istanbul, focusing particularly on Fatih (historical peninsula).