The Investigation of Sinop Coastal Area Pattern in Terms of Coastal Management

Abstract

Sinop is a province located at the Black Sea region and it is rich in scenic beauty and cultural values and has potential touristic resources. Moreover, it is one of the most prominent port towns in the Black Sea region. The area, which can be qualified as the most important and prominent image region of the city, comprise the coastal land use line of the province. However, the city fails to utilize this advantage.

The master plan of the city has substantially changed through the years. The present study aimed to determine the changes in the master plans of the city through the years, the distribution of the coastal land use areas and changes in the utilization of the coastal areas through the years. Evaluating the current administrative competence/constraints in the coastal area with respect to the data obtained in the study is also among the goals of the study. Furthermore, by taking the impact of environmental factors on the ratio of the land use areas into consideration, examining these data in terms of coastal management planning to create habitats that better suit the vital requirements is another prospect of the study.

In addition, the evaluation of some coastal area-associated issues including the extent of the effect of current erosion issues on the development of the coastal area was also included in the study. The percentage of the current functional coastal areas in the province, the distribution of the number of building floors and the changes in these data by years were also investigated. For these evaluations, zoning revisions and 1/2000, 1/5000 and 1/10000 maps were examined to determine the coastal area zoning changes and filling areas. Fieldworks were carried out in the coastal area of the city to determine and observe the state of the area. The data was collected by contacting relevant institutions and organizations and carrying out fieldworks. Considering the data obtained in the study, measures to remedy the zoning deficiencies in the coastal area and the city center were proposed.

The obtained data and evaluations obtained revealed that the province is in need of new and sustainable planning and there is a necessity to include implementations that are based on integrated coastal area management principals.