In the first part of this special issue, published in December 2016, the presented papers explored various notions of urban identity in contemporary cities. Cities which have experienced dramatic change due to the pressure of accommodating increasingly concentrated populations, dominance of vehicular movement and inappropriate urban planning approaches (Oktay, 2016: pp. 255). The papers, in this context, focused on the issues of multicultural and heterogeneous cities, city centres against consumer culture, place making and reclaiming the public realm in cities, and management and conservation of local heritage and values in cities in transformation.In this second volume, the concept of urban identity has been addressed from different perspectives considering its meaning and significance in the changing context of the city, its perception by different groups of people, its reflection in public open spaces, and how the experience of a place can be enriched by the use of technology.In the opening paper, Oktay (2017) posits that effective urban design policies and strategies have the potential to reinforce local character and create places with identity; accordingly, a thorough analysis of the concept of identity is needed and an understanding of the ways through which it can be achieved without reducing the concept to an aesthetic dressing, possesses a great significance. Based on a comprehensive review of the literature and the findings of the author's previous surveybased research (Oktay and Bala, 2015: pp. 202-203), together with the results of observations (through an urban designer's eyes) of more than fifty cities in thirty countries, she claims that the most powerful elements contributing to the identity of the city are natural environment, social-cultural environment, identifiable quarters, public spaces, and in some cases, landmarks.What is also emphasized in this paper is that, as cities are always changing and evolving in response to social, economic and political forces, the urban environment must be considered from a time-based perspective, identifying the changes in the local context. In line with these, this paper searches for urban identity by focusing on the organizing elements both in theory and practice. Exploring the elements of identity in Samsun, a big harbour city in Turkey, with a rich cultural background where transformations are dramatic, the study concludes with strategic ideas and proposals in order to sustain and enhance the urban identity of this city and cities going through similar transformations.Fátima Bernardo, Joana Almeida and Catarina Martins (Bernardo et al, 2017), in their paper on urban identity and tourism, focus on a critical issue regarding how to overcome tourism impacts on the authenticity of a place and the local residents. Highlighting the significance of the interdependence between identity as perceived by tourists and the identity of the residents rooted in their relationship with the place. They propose an actor-oriented approach towards creating and maintaining ur...
