Research in the Department should be seen within the context of its foundational commitment to contribute to the development of planning practice in Turkey. In relation to this mission, our research has been developed from the decision to engage with Izmir and its communities by means of planning projects and research. As a result, much of the research in the Department has a strong applied and policy relevant focus, making it research active on behalf of governments in Izmir and around.

Recent research strategy of the Department is to contribute to the development of critical and creative urban thinking and research. This strategy involves a dedication to be research active on behalf of research councils in Izmir, Turkey and abroad. The department aims to build a dynamic urban research and is committed to ensuring that its research has a significant and positive impact locally, nationally and internationally.

Since its foundation, the Department’s research culture have encouraged bottom-up innovation in research directions. As a result of this, research in the Department has not been organised into formal research clusters, although research effort coalesces around some foci:

– Urban Development and Planning

– Urban Design and Conservation

– Transport systems and infrastructure

–  GIS and spatial analysis