The 12nd seminar of the “Istanbul Urban Studies” seminar series organized by the Department of Urban and Regional Planning of Istanbul Medeniyet University moderated by our Urban and Regional Planning Department member Res.Asst. Ayça ÇELİKBİLEK was held online on Thursday, 02nd July 2021, with a presentation by Lecturer Ece ÖZMEN from Manisa Celal Bayar University and Tolga KAYACAN (PhD). The researchers delivered a presentation titled “Kentsel Stres Kavramı ve İstanbul’da Kentsel Stresi Azaltmak” (The Concept of Urban Stress and the Importance of Reducing Urban Stress in Istanbul).
Within the scope of the seminar, the researchers first drew attention to the fact that a solution was sought for the congestion and slums that resulted from the urbanization process on one hand, and there were efforts to create housing areas for the new residents of the city, on the other. They underlined that if this process is not managed well, the problems that will arise in public health come to the agenda of the city more strongly, especially with the Covid-19 pandemic. For this reason, it was stated that public health and the concept of urban stress are of great importance for planning sustainable and healthy cities.
The researchers then explained the burnout syndrome with its symptoms, which was defined as a disease in ICD (International Classification of Disease) by WHO in 2019. KAYACAN and ÖZMEN evaluated the world´s most stressful cities and stress producing factors identified by the research results of worldwide-renowned research companies Savvy Sleeper and 24/7 Tempo. The researchers said that stress producing factors are divided in 5 groups as those with social, based, and health origins and also those that result from the circumstances surrounding cities and environmental factors. In addition, they also explained that the solution of urban stress could be either problem-oriented or emotion-oriented and public open spaces is quite an effective way to help stress management. KAYACAN and ÖZMEN clarified that problem-oriented solutions try to eliminate stress producing factors while emotion-oriented solutions aim to create some regulations which may reduce humans’ stress levels. The researchers pointed out that the increase in the number of open public spaces, improving transport options, safety measures, and convenient and sufficient urban furniture to break the monotony are among proper solutions providing problem-based approaches. On the other side, they noted that emotion-oriented solutions are indirect ways to relieve human psychological stress but the main solution lies in integrating public and private areas, linking them by safe and proper ways, and stimulating socializing.
The q/a session that followed provided a chance to discuss the legitimacy of urban stress and to clarify whether urban stress plays a part in planning legislation globally. Additionally, the effect of gated communities on urban stress was discussed to clarify if they reduce the level of stress because of their positive environmental features or not. Also, socio- cultural facilities were evaluated in terms of their double-sided effects which reduce the stress level of their users but produce more stress and traffic congestion for local people in the meantime.
