INVISIBLES FOR PLANNING AUTHORITY, CEMEVIS AS THE PLACES OF IDENTITY AND WORSHIP

Abstract

A strong movement in urban planning and geography literature discusses identity places problematique in the context of the comprehensiveness of urban planning. Increasing demand of different cultural identities to be visible in urban space, as well as migration, asylum and population mobility, caused identity places phenomenon an important issue for urban planning (Healey, 1997; Sandercock, 2000; Germain and Gagnon, 2003; Gale, 2005). The focus of the discussions on the meaning of the city's multiculturalism has shifted to the discussion on the needed means of planning by the multiculturalism, today. (Ponzini, 2014; Tasan-Kok and Ozogul, 2017). These efforts have not yet taken place in the agenda of current urban planning profession in Turkey. On the contrary, place organizations are being organized with standard techniques for standardized social activities. However, ethnic-religious clusters seeking to register their presence in the city, appear with the new concepts and demands outside the standards of the planning institutions. This situation revealed the urban facility area standards, such as cultural identity places, religious or sacred places, places of worship, have to be rethought in the spatial planning practices. This debate becomes concrete in the demand and ongoing struggle of Alevis, for the recognition of Cem-houses as places worship in Turkey. In this context, the problem of spatial representation of social and cultural identities by the planning institution in Turkey will be addressed in the context of the experience and perception of minority communities, especially Alevis.