Conferences:

Journals:

Books:

Oktay, Derya (2010). Gazimağusa'da Kentsel Yaşam Kalitesi: Araştırma, Planlama ve Yönetim İçin Göstergeler (Quality of Urban Life in Famagusta: Implications for Research, Planning and Politics), published for the Urban Research &  Development Center, EMU Press, Famagusta.

Gazimağusa'da Kentsel Yaşam Kalitesi: Araştırma, Planlama ve Yönetim İçin Göstergeler (Quality of Urban Life in Famagusta: Implications for Research, Planning and Politics) represents the findings of a multi-method research combining Professor Oktay's own evaluations and assessments in the city of Famagusta (Gazimağusa) with the findings of a comprehensive survey (questionnaires) to tap the thoughts, actions and expectations of local residents and Eastern Mediterranean University's student body. As Professor Robert W. Marans, Coordinator of the International Programme of Research on the Qualitz of Life in Cities, affirmed on the back cover, the book offers researchers, local administrations and government officials including planners in this historic and sprawling city a clear snapshot of urban life in the early part of the 21st century. It is believed that such information can guide them in future research and planning efforts and can be used as a benchmark for assessing changes in the quality of people's lives. The book is expected to serve as a model of what needs to be done in other cities in Cyprus as well, and to contribute to the promotion of urban citizenship, an important factor that may influence the urban environment indirectly. The issues covered in the book are residential history, public services and transportation, schools, parks, recreation and where children play, shopping, participation and involvement, neighbourhood and neighbouring, housing and residential mobility, safety, employment and home-workspace/school relations, health and health care facilities, environment, city and university relationship, other domain satisfactions, and other urban and regional issues.

Prof. Dr. Derya Oktay'ın, TÜBİTAK destekli olarak tamamladığı üç yıllık araştırmaya ve 16 yıllık süre içindeki gözlem ve inclemelerine dayalı olarak yazdığı kitapta,kentte yaşayan tüm kesimlerin düşünce, eylem ve beklentilerine odaklanan anketler yoluyla, kent ile ilgilenen araştırmacılara, devlet planlama yetkilileri ve yerel yönetim sorumlularına, kent ve mahalleler bazında, kolay okunabilen bir bilgi bütünü sunuyor. Kapsamında, kamu servisleri ve ulaşım, ev-işyeri ilişkisi, okullar, park, rekreasyon ve çocuk oyun alanlari, alışveriş ve eğlence, katılım, mahalle, konut ve taşınma eğilimleri, komşuluk ve sosyal konular, güvenlik, istihdam, doğal çevre, eğitim, sağlık, Kent-Üniversite ilişkisi, Kent-deniz ilişkisi, ve diğer  bölgesel konuları kapsayan pek çok boyutun irdelendiği kitap, KKTC'deki diğer kentlerde de neler yapılabileceğine dair ip uçları veriyor.

Chapters in Refereed Books:

1. Oktay,D. & Rustemli, A., " The Quality of Urban Life and Neighbourhood Satisfaction in Famagusta", Investigating Quality of Urban Life: Theory, Methods, and Empirical Research (Eds: R.W.Marans & R. Stimson), Springer, Dordecht, 2011, pp 233-249.

Refereed Articles:

1. Oktay,D., Rustemli, A. and Marans, R.W., " Determinants of Neighborhood Satisfaction Among Local Residents and International Students: A Case Study in Famagusta, N.Cyprus", JOURNAL OF ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING RESEARCH, Vol 29, No.3, Autumn 2012, pp. 224-240.
2. Oktay, D., Rustemli, A., " Measuring the Quality of Urban Life and Neighbourhood Satisfaction: Findings From Gazimagusa (Famagusta) Area Study", INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITY STUDIES (online), Vol.2, Issue 2, 2010, pp 27-37.
3. Oktay,D. & Marans, R.W., " Overall Quality of Urban Life and Neighbourhood Satisfaction: A Household Survey in the Walled City of Famagusta", OPEN HOUSE INTERNATIONAL, Vol.35, Issue 3, 2010, pp 27-36.
4. Oktay,D., Rustemli, A. and Marans, R.W., " Neighbourhood Satisfaction, Sense of Community and Attachment: Initial Finding from Famagusta (Gazimagusa) Quality of Life Study", ITU A/Z JOURNAL, 6/1, PP 6-20, 2009.

Presentations at International Conferences:

1. Oktay, D., Marans, R.W., " Neighbourhood Satisfaction Among Diverse Groups of Inhabitations: Findings from Famagusta Area Study", ENHR 2011, Toulouse, 5-7 July 2011.
2. Oktay, D., Rustemli, A., "Measuring the Quality of Urban Life and Neighbourhood Satisfaction: Findings From Gazimagusa (Famagusta) Area Study", ICSS 2010, Izmir, 8-9 October 2010.
3. Oktay, D., Marans, R.W., 'Perceptions of Overall Quality of Urban Life among Residents o the walled City of Famagusta', CSBE-IAPS Conference, 12-16 October, Istanbul, 2009.
4. Oktay, D., Marans, R.W., 'Social-Spatial Environment and Neighbourhood Satisfaction: Initial Findings From Famagusta Area Study', IAPS 20^th Conference, Rome, July 28-August 1, 2008.
5. Oktay, D., Marans, R.W., "Assesing the Quality of Life Famagusta Neighbourhoods: Initial Findings From An Ongoing Research Program, EDRA 39 Conference, Veracruz, Mexico, May 28-June 1, 2008.
6. Marans, R.W., Stimson, R., Turkoglu, H., Keul, A., Oktay, D., "A Multi-City Program of Research on Quality of Urban Life", ISQOLS 2008: 8^th Conference of the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, December 6-9, 2007, The San Diego Marriot Mission Vally, San Diego, Callifornia, USA.
7. Oktay, D., Quality of Urban Life Studies for Sustainability and Liveability: A Research Framework for Gazimagusa (Famagusta), ICANAS 38 (International Congress on Asian and North African Studies), Bilkent Oteli Konferans Salonu, Ankara, 10-16 September 2007.

Invited presentations:

Oktay, D.,"Gazimagusa'da Kentsel Yaşam Kalitesi : Daha Yaşanilabilir Bir Kent için Göstergeler" , Mağusa  Geleceğini Ariyor Paneli, DAÜ Mimarlik Fakültesi & Mağusa insiyatifi Doğu Akdeniz Üniversitesi, DAÜ Aktivite Merkezi, 31 Mayis 2011.

 http://www.magusainsiyatifi.org/_images/DeryaOktay_31Mayis2011Panelsunum.pdf

Other Publications:

Oktay, Derya (Ed.),  Inquiry  into  Urban  Environment:  Issues  concerning Concerning Urban, Housing and Building Environment, published for the Urban Research & Development Center, EMU Press, Famagusta, 2006.

This book brings together the texts that cover various dimensions of the city, from urban scale to housing and building scale and accordingly helps create a comprehensive perception of urban environment. The presented articles are the revised forms of the seminar papers presented by the guest speakers of the Eastern Mediterranean University, Urban Research and Development Center(URDC), between the years 2000 - 2005.  

The diverse contributions in the book reflect the relation between the dimensions mentioned above. In this context, the first three essays, which are the revised versions of the papers presented at the Panel Session "Urban Environment and Sustainability" (Kentsel Çevre ve Sürdürülebilirlik, URDC, May 1999), help clarify the concept of urban sustainability, a timely theme for a research unit dealing with urban issues, due to the fact that,  today, most cities and towns share major difficulties such as the deterioration of the architectural and urban environment due to the changes in socio-demographic and environmental landscapes. 

Raci Bademli ("Problems of Transition from Master Planning to Sector Based and Participatory Urban Development Planning") advocates preserving ecological and cultural heritage of a city and highlights the changing role of the planners. The author argues that the important issues in planning is the management of the process, rather than solemnly preparing the plans, and highlights the need for claiming and possessing our environment at all scales from country scale through dwelling scale.

Mehmet Çubuk ("Urban Issues in the 21st Century & Proposal for A Sustainable and Humanised Urbanism"), providing a discussion on the city and sustainable urbanism in the 21st century, highlights the need for humanisation in contemporary cities, and the integration of humanisation with urbanism as much as  sustainability.

Ruşen Keleş ("Sustainable Urban Development under Unsustainable Conditions") analysing the concepts of sustainable urban development that refers to the qualifications of the process, and sustainable city that is concerned with the qualities of the end product (city), evaluates the current state of urbanism in Turkey from the perspective of sustainability. The author underlines the need for an integrated and multi-disciplinary approach, and shows how to achieve this.

Fernando da Silva and Beatriz Condessa ("Urban Sustainability and Local Agenda 21") introducing the guidelines, initiatives, actions and programmes promoted towards the development of a sustainable urban environment, advocates the Local Agenda 21 as a strategy leading to focus on urban economy, social cohesion and equitable social development, housing, environment, mobility and accessibility, urban life, citizenship and governance, and foresees that, to develop this methodology, it's essential to guarantee a sound participation of the main actors to be mobilized to the desired changes in urban environment.

Manuel Costa Lobo ("Innovation and Continuity of Policies as a Key for Rehabilitation Success") introduces regeneration as one of the most current important issues in urban planning, and explores this issue through three Portuguese case studies: Coimbra, a historical centre, Óbidos, a medieval town, and Belém, a historical quarter in Lisbon. The author proves that innovation/creativity and continuity of urban policy could be of great importance to the success of the rehabilitation works and the risks of not getting continuity or of lacking innovation capacity.

Mark Childs ("Seven Questions about Designing a Square") highlights the idea that a good practicing architect must begin with good questions to be able to create good public places, and discusses seven of the most important questions about civic places, leaving the readers with more questions, based on the assumption that they will pursue and and that will fuel their designs.

Massimo Broccocoli ("Working on change: Institutions, Organisations and the Development of Neighbourhood Policies in Northern Italy") referring to integrated urban programmes as terrain for the crossing of the physical and social dimension of housing issues, argues that neighbourhood policies may become chances for innovation and significant experimentation if they are capable of moving from the dwelling toward the city, bridging these two levels, creating the conditions which make public space hospitable for issues posed by the inhabitants, offering the opportunity of a translation into public.

Pattabi G. Raman ("Representation and Design") looks at the concepts of representation  in architecture and that of design, and questions some examplary representative processes of various scales including urban spaces. The author, referring to studio teaching, emphasizes the role of understanding the link between creativity and the representational strategy.

Kyriakos Pontikis ("Designing and Making Buildings Livable and Sustainable"), studying traditional building processes, recommends that one should look for inspiration, understanding, and knowledge of how humane environments created in the past. However, realizing the fact that these processes cannot be employed today the same way they were employed then, he advocates interpreting most building processes anew so they can be viable and can resolve contemporary problems and constraints.