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Today, it is difficult to retain and strengthen local character in the globalizing world. Showing the advantages of small towns and to strengthen their identities with focusing on 'small realities in a globalizing world'' by increasing the value of local differences is an important subject in the global atmosphere. From this point, taking the advantage of Birgi's (Izmir/Turkey) having strong natural, man-made and cultural identity, this study aims to find out the most appropriate planning strategy for the sustainability of Birgi's (İzmir-Turkey) local character and identity which was selected as a case study. This study made some on-site observations for establishing the existing local identity potentials of Birgi. After these observations, within the scope of the study, first of all, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT factors) of the settlement were identified. Additionally, to determine the most appropriate planning strategy, a numerical SWOT analysis called A'WOT analysis which is the combination of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and SWOT analysis was used. Then, identified SWOT factors prioritized by an expert group (35 person) using A'WOT analysis. After finding general and local priority values of SWOT factors, four planning strategies were displayed by using TOWS matrix. Then, the most appropriate strategy among these planning strategies was chosen

It is known that important steps have been taken to improve the social and economic life of women in terms of gender equality in the world and in Turkey recently. However, studies show that the reflections of these steps on the physical space of the city are not as successful as in the discourses. Subjects that focus more on physicality, such as women's freedom of movement in urban space, their visibility and their relationship with space, are often ignored or insufficient, although there are some formations to strengthen this relationship, such as the "Women Friendly City" programs. At this point, the starting point of this study, which aims to understand women's place in urban space practices and their positive-negative relationship with space from both men's and women's perspectives and to raise awareness, is the main hypothesis that women's visibility in public space is less than men's. The reasons such as social and cultural acceptances, the responsibilities of women, and the inadequacy of urban space practices that may affect this hypothesis have also formed the assumptions of the study. In order to test/confirm this hypothesis and related assumptions, a total of 354 questionnaires were conducted with male and female participants using the simple random sampling technique in Keçiören, Ankara. As a result of the study, the hypothesis determined specifically for the Keçiören sample area was confirmed. However, the point that needs to be emphasized is that the main reason why women's visibility in urban space is less than that of men is not related to urban space practices other than 'security', but rather to the sociological dimensions of the issue. In other words, the reasons such as the view that women in social life should be at home by identifying with the 'home' and that they cannot find the time to participate in urban life due to their home-related responsibilities cause women to experience urban space less than men.

To perceive our world, the city we live in, and communicate with the urban elements surrounding us, information from other sensory sources (such as auditory, touch, and smell) as well as visual perception are very important and deeply affecting data. With the help of all the sensory data they feel, people attach meanings to the space, feel a sense of belonging, connect to the space, and transform the space into a 'living space'. It is stated by many studies that this issue is very important in the design of a sustainable urban environment. From this point of view, the main purpose of this study is to understand the interaction of the visual and auditory characteristics of the urban space with each other and how these interactions are evaluated by the individuals using the space with inquiries such as ‘Is the visual value also high in areas with high soundscape value?’ or ‘Does the visuality of the urban environment affect sound quality assessments? Within the scope of the study, the axis between Konya High-Speed Train Station and Mevlana Tomb, an important axis in terms of the city’s vision, was selected as a sample area. This axis is about 3 km. long and has many historical identity values and central functions of Konya city. For the study, soundwalking and the questionnaire application method accompanying this walk on the sample axis were used. Acoustic characteristics of the axis were also understood with sound intensity measurements (dB levels). Photographs taken from the area and the questionnaire application to measure the user's perspective were used to understand the visual attractiveness of the sample axis. The study was carried out with a total of 92 people participating in the study. In the next step, the data obtained from all these analyses are integrated, and detailed evaluations were made on the determined parts and the whole axis. As a result of the study, it was seen that the relationship between the auditory and visual environment was not directly proportional across the selected sample axis. At this point, it can be said that the importance of the context in which the auditory landscape is perceived is obvious.

The functions, values, and meanings of cities, which have been in constant change and transformation throughout history, are changing in response to rapidly changing conditions, particularly in recent times. The areas where this change can be observed most concretely are generally urban spaces. Some places in the city, which cannot keep up with this speed, may lose their structural or functional use over time and remain idle when they are not fed or equipped with suitable activities that will integrate with the environmental character and bring vitality. Therefore, within the very valuable urban land, they may become lost spaces for the city. It seems very important to regain such spaces in the rhythm of daily urban life, considering that they have strong economic, social, and physical potential, as well as being lost. From this point of view, the aim of the study is to identify the lost spaces in the historical city center of Konya, which was chosen as the sample area, and to identify the urban space(s) that should be intervened in with priority among the identified lost spaces. The Trancik method was used to find the lost spaces in the area using detailed analysis. With the help of figure-ground, linkage, and place theories in Roger Trancik's book titled "Finding Lost Space: Theories of Urban Design" (1986), both morphological analyses (figure-ground and linkage analyses) and questionnaires and cognitive maps were used to understand "place" and measure its perceptibility. The research to understand the "place" was carried out with a total of 50 people using the random sampling technique. Then, within the scope of the study, all the findings obtained from figure-ground, linkage, and place analyses were synthesized, and all lost spaces within the sample area were determined. Among these identified lost spaces, Kılıçarslan Square and its environs were determined to be the most undetected, unused, disliked, and first intervention requested by the participants. This result underlines the necessity of saving an important public space in the heart of the city from its current transition space and using it more effectively through scientific evidence. This result underlines the necessity of saving an important public space in the heart of the city from its current transition space and using it more effectively through scientific evidence. With its effective use, the area will be reintroduced to the city.