Next-generation urban design guides for sustainability of small towns: A case study on Gudul, Turkey

Urban design has an ever-evolving role in this period of global warming. Cities are built by applying new ecological approaches in urban planning/design to the production of design guides for sustainable development. This article aims to underline the significance of design guides in shaping sustainable lifestyles by comparing the conventional and most common urban design guides in use today with the next generation of urban design guides, which put emphasis on ecology and technology. Moreover, this article focuses on design guides as design control tools at a small town scale, with the intention of helping people to use the right tools in a sustainable manner. To provide a strategic perspective, an ecological and technological urban design guide of Gudul, Ankara, is presented as an example, alongside a set of performance goals, objectives, performance criteria and explanatory diagrams. By paying particular attention to the incorporation of sustainable development perspectives into small towns, it is believed that this eco-tech urban design guide - which is a result of several site surveys, observations and meetings - will be an invaluable tool for planners and developers in achieving a sustainable built environment. URBAN DESIGN International (2011) 16, 105-124. doi: 10.1057/udi.2011.3; published online 16 March 2011