A Research on the Development of Shopping Buildings in Historical Process; Example of Çankiri

The activity of shopping has started by beneficial relationships of mankind to meet their needs and it has transformed into today’s shopping mall by evolving, according to the present conditions and human needs in historical process. Nowadays these buildings have begun to serve for different purposes by taking form of social communication and interaction spaces beside their commercial features. As in the developed countries, the numbers of the shopping malls have been also increased significantly in Turkey for last twenty years. Unfortunately, this condition has gradually decreased the importance of traditional shopping spaces. In terms of the conservation approaches, it has been a subject which is necessary to be investigated. Therefore, in this study, it’s aimed to search socio-economic and spatial dynamics that have their effects on this change and development, and is giving contributive proposals about both taking right steps for new designs and protecting the efficiency of present shopping center or renewing traditional shopping spaces. In the scope of this study, general approaches in today’s shopping centers are mentioned and their reflections in Turkey are researched with the example of Çankırı city. Then, some results and suggestions are presented by evaluating the reasons of the change.