Güney, E E (2025) Conservation of the village institutes’ heritage as a driver of sustainable development. PhD thesis, Middle East Technical University, Turkey.
Abstract
The Village Institutes, established in Turkey between 1940 and 1954, represent a pioneering approach to integrating education with rural development, addressing the nations urgent need for educational reform and socio-economic advancement in rural areas. The 21 village institute campuses, systematically and meticulously designed with a unique architectural language, have endured through various institutional uses over time but have undergone changes influenced by the change in educational system. The study aims to understand the physical transformation of the sites through narratives and archive documents as a model of the Early Republican Period, evaluate their unique role in rural development, identify conservation challenges and values. By analyzing seven village institute sites in detail and evaluating others at a broader scale, the study argues that much like during the Early Republican Era, village institute campuses still hold the potential to serve as tools for achieving sustainable development goals today. By integrating the existing qualities and potentials of each campus with the socio-cultural and economic opportunities of their respective regions, the study proposes strategies for the holistic and participatory conservation of the campuses. Additionally, it offers suggestions for the adaptive reuse of abandoned open spaces and buildings to support sustainable development for seven village institute sites. This study provides a foundation for developing similar proposals for other village institute campuses, making it possible not only to ensure the conservation of the entire village institute network but also to revive their original development mission.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Güçhan, N Ş |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Turkey; conservation; education; heritage; reuse; sustainable development |
| Index terms: | rural area, sustainable development goal, narrative, Turkey, documents, open space, conservation, sustainable development, transformation, proposal, adaptive reuse, rural development, strategy |
| Subjects: | sustainable design, urban design, professional development, Geography, environmental policy, qualitative and interpretive research, land use and regional development, business, project planning, management, health safety and environment |
| Topics: | Urban Studies, Geographical Context, Health and Safety, Project Management, Information Management, Business Strategy, Sustainability, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
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