Abstract:

People want to create a common identity with the city that they live in through interaction. Visual expression tools in public spaces convey messages and influence the public. Since murals and graffiti have been used to express feelings/ideas, recently the search for creating a shared identity in different audiences through an innovative method has emerged. Murals and graffiti create a chance for people to slow down, see the area they are in, and think. The Yeldeğirmeni district was chosen as the research sample since empty building surfaces, which are worn out by physical effects over time and are unnoticed in the flow of life were covered with murals during art-design festivals within the scope of the “Revitalization Project" carried out by the municipality. This historical district has stood with its characteristic structure that has kept different subcultures alive in its streets and now it includes art-design workshops and new-generation cafes thanks to urban studies. In the district, structural features and residential areas have been preserved and social places have been restructured on a narrow scale. Although these arrangements don’t radically change the spatial perception of the natives, the non-residents increase their interest in the neighborhood and make the area a demanded place from the outside. With the collected data murals and graffiti works are considered by some as works that leave a legacy by layering with "art" and new-generation touches. But on deeper consideration, it is noticed that the gentrification path is drawn in the long term by “Revitalization ‘’.

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