Urban Design

Urban Design in Mixed-Use Developments

From financial centers to living campuses, holistic planning strategies that place the human scale at their center.

Mixed-use developments are among the most complex and exciting typologies of modern urbanization. When successful, these structures — which bring together residential, office, retail, cultural, and recreational functions — become self-sufficient mini-cities.

The holistic planning strategy REACTO applied in the Çukurova Financial Center project goes beyond conventional zoning-plan logic to establish a pedestrian-first transportation hierarchy. Vehicular traffic is taken underground, and the ground floors are opened entirely to pedestrian circulation and public use. At least 40% of the entrance level of each building is planned as public-use space (café, gallery, waiting lounge).

Human scale is the factor most often neglected yet most critical in urban design. A person walking at the foot of a 20-story building can perceive only the first 3–4 floors of the facade. For this reason, the ground-floor designs of buildings, facade material transitions, and eave and canopy details are specifically worked out according to the pedestrian perspective.