Urban Sustainability through Ecological Planning Approach: Ian McHarg’s Nature-Centered Perspective

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Akın S.

3rd INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND URBAN LANDSCAPES, Girne, Cyprus (Kktc), 13 - 14 December 2024, vol.1, pp.764-801, (Full Text)

  • Publication Type: Conference Paper / Full Text
  • Volume: 1
  • City: Girne
  • Country: Cyprus (Kktc)
  • Page Numbers: pp.764-801
  • Hatay Mustafa Kemal University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This paper examines urban sustainability and disaster risk reduction through Ian McHarg’s Ecological Planning Approach. City planning aligned with the natural environment plays a critical role in designing disaster-resistant and sustainable urban areas. The study investigates the integration of risk areas such as fault lines and floodplain zones into urban planning, based on McHarg’s layered analysis method presented in his work *Design with Nature* (1969). Using a literature review method, the applicability of ecological planning principles is analyzed in terms of reducing the impacts of natural disasters and ensuring environmental sustainability. The findings of the study demonstrate that ecological factors should be prioritized in urban planning and show how this approach can be integrated into modern urbanization processes. McHarg’s nature-based vision for building disaster-resilient cities provides a crucial roadmap for a sustainable future. In this context, concrete recommendations for urban planning processes are developed in the study.