SMYRNA/İZMİR KAZI ve ARAŞTIRMALARI II Smyrna/Izmir Excavation and Research II

The  agora of Smyrna that  is surrounded by the traditional commercial centre and the traditional housing districts is located  in the very core of the historic  city centre of Izmir. Due to its multi-cultural structure, the historic  city centre contains  impor- tant components of the city culture and its urban identity. Unfortunately, as a result of the  changes  in the  social, cultural and  administrative dynamics  of the  city, this urban area have been  distinctly evolved and marginalized. Therefore, the unificati- on and  integration of the historic  centre with the other parts of the city have beco- me one of the main  arguments of both  the local authorities and the trade  bodies.In this framework,  this study aims to share  the  inferences and  visions of an urban rehabilitation project that  focuses on the  southern and  western parts of the  agora of Smyrna. Within  the  scope  of this project the  current dynamics  of the  districts have been  clarified,  a rehabilitation model  that prioritizes the balance between  uti- lization  and preservation have been  presented and  concept projects  related to a number of places having environmental and  social impacts  have been  designed. In this study, the outputs of the project have been  shared  while the physical and socio- cultural impacts  of proposed interventions have been  discussed.