Interventions in Historic Urban Sites After Earthquake Disasters

Abstract

Earthquakes, fires, and climate change-related hazards increasingly threaten cultural heritage. Documenting and identifying the significance of heritage sites before disasters is essential for archival purposes and for guiding post-disaster interventions such as consolidation, reconstruction, or redesign. Although various post-disaster strategies exist in the literature, they often lack consideration of pre-disaster values and authentic qualities, limiting their effectiveness in value-based regeneration. This study proposes a framework for managing post-disaster interventions grounded in pre-disaster documentation of heritage values, authenticity, and integrity. The methodology includes seven phases: case selection; site survey and documentation; thematic analysis and mapping; quantification of qualitative data; synthesis of pre-disaster analysis results to define values, problems, and potentials; post-disaster assessment using aerial and terrestrial imagery; and development of targeted intervention strategies. This study focuses on two areas in Antakya, T & uuml;rkiye: Kurtulu & scedil; Street and Kuyulu Neighborhood, affected by the 2023 earthquake (M 7.7). These areas represent different historical layers: a Hellenistic grid plan with French-style buildings, and an organic Ottoman settlement morphology, respectively. Conservation data collected in 2019 inform the analysis. Mapping techniques evaluate attributes such as spatial characteristics, typologies, and structural systems. The study concludes that traces of pre-disaster spatial patterns and building features should inform post-disaster designs, ensuring sustainable, earthquake-resistant, and value-based interventions.