Urban layers and living spaces: The evolution of housing in Kayseri

This study examines the transformation of housing in Kayseri as a case through which to understand broader processes of urbanization, modernization, and socio-spatial change in Turkey. Once defined by inward-oriented courtyard houses constructed from local materials—reflecting values of privacy and communal life—Kayseri’s domestic architecture has undergone significant transformation across four historical periods: the pre-Republican era, the early Republican period, the post-1950 expansion, and the post-1980 neoliberal era. Each phase reflects a distinct interplay between national policy directives, global urban trends, and local adaptations. Early Republican reforms introduced Western-oriented architectural ideals by promoting detached houses and low-rise apartments. This trajectory accelerated in the post-1980 period when neoliberal policies prioritized high-rise residential development driven by private capital and speculative investment, often at the expense of cultural continuity and human-scale urban design. Employing an interdisciplinary methodology, this research integrates archival analysis, oral histories, spatial observations, and visual documentation. Drawing on architecture, sociology, and history, it investigates how built forms mediate tensions between tradition and modernity, memory and transformation, and local identity and state ideology. With its long-standing strategic and cultural significance, Kayseri provides a compelling case for examining how urban development is shaped by structural forces and lived experience. The study argues that the housing transformation in Kayseri is not a linear progression, but a contested and layered process shaped by evolving economic structures, governance models, and cultural logic. By combining textual, visual, and experiential knowledge, the research offers a deeper understanding of how domestic space reflects and constructs shifting urban realities.