Senior Researcher
Dr. Çare Olgun Çalişkan
T + 49 – 30 – 314 – 21830
F + 49 – 30 – 314 – 21907
Curriculum Vitae
Dr. Çare Olgun Çalişkan was born in the city of Kars, on Turkey's border with Armenia, and raised/lived in a few different cities in Turkey. Especially Kars, with its socio-political history, unique urban characteristics, and rurality, has been a source of inspiration for his working and research interests.
After earning his Bachelor’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Istanbul Technical University (ITU), he pursued his Master’s degree by focusing on regional inequalities and growth pole theory by focusing on eastern Turkey in the Regional Planning program of the same university.
His working experience at Istanbul Metropolitan Planning Center (IMP) and Istanbul Branch of the Chamber of Urban Planners allowed him to focus on particularly several subjects like rapid urbanization, urban periphery, unnecessary mega-projects in Istanbul, urban transportation, urban-rural interrelations, and ecology. Besides, after his master’s degree, he also got involved in several projects related to rural/eco-tourism, local food production and seeds, biodiversity, emergent networks of solidarity, socio-cultural structure, and rural transformation in partnership with Boğatepe Environment and Life Association (CEVDER). This experience also contributed to the intellectual development of his Ph.D. research titled “In Search of a New Approach for Turkey’s Urbanization Related Rural-Urban Solidarity Networks in Medium-Sized Cities: The case of Kars-Boğatepe”, which was completed in March 2019.
He worked in the Urban and Regional Planning Department at Mimar Sinan Fine Art University as a tenured academic between 2014-2021 and gave lectures on urban policies, rural planning, and village revitalization, urban planning, urban transportation, and urban studio. He carried out his academic studies in Berlin as a postdoctoral researcher in short-term fellowship programs funded by the Academy In Exile Program and the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, respectively. After a while, the studies in question were followed by a 3-month postdoctoral research period at the Technical University of Dresden. In all these postdoctoral programs, he tried to focus on the importance of alternative food networks (AFNs) in Turkey and Germany in rural-urban relations and their connection with ecology. After that, he was entitled to receive the 2-year postdoctoral research fellowship given by the Einstein Foundation’s Academic Freedom Program, which he planned to do at TU Berlin-Habitat Unit, in mid-2021. He has been a senior researcher in the Habitat Unit since November 2021. He is currently carrying out his research project titled “Rural-Urban Solidarity Networks in Search of an Ecologically Sustainable Turkey: The Crucial Role of Food And Rurality For The Future” which is scholarly hosted by Prof. Dr. Elke Beyer and Prof. Anke Hagemann. This research project seeks to put forward a new approach for a more resilient and more sustainable future, considering the course of urbanization and the impacts of the ecological crisis and changing paradigms with the Covid-19 pandemic. In this context, taking the Kars-Boğatepe model into its focus, it examines the importance of rural-urban solidarity networks in developing local economies and rural life. It also aims to look at the reflection of the issue not only in a country (Turkey) that is rapidly urbanizing and losing its rural power over time, but also in a country (Germany) with a different government system and level of development, in Berlin, and to make a comparative assessment.
He has a wide range of experiences due to his academic and working background. Thus, today, there are several concepts and subjects like the Anthropocene era, urban-rural inter-relations, urbanization, rural planning, village design guides, medium-sized cities, ecological sustainability, degrowth, limitarianism, circular economy, rural organizations, and solidarity networks constitute his academic interest and work focus. In his professional work and research projects, he tries to draw attention to the importance of solidarity instead of competition and the positive effects it can create.
2019
Doctoral Degree
Thesis: In Search of a New Approach for Turkey’s Urbanization Related Rural-Urban Solidarity Networks in Medium-Sized Cities: The Case of Kars-Boğatepe
Institution: Urban and Regional Planning Graduate Program, Institute of Science and Technology, Istanbul Technical University (ITU)
2008
Master’s Degree
Thesis: The Growth Pole Possibility of Kars within the Polycentric Regional Development Aim in Ağrı Subregion (TRA2)
Institution: Regional Planning Master Program, Institute of Science and Technology / Istanbul Technical University (ITU)
2005
Bachelor’s Degree
Thesis: Ecological Mass Housing Planning and Design
Institution: Urban and Regional Planning Department, Faculty of Architecture / Istanbul Technical University (ITU)
Since 2021
Postdoc Researcher at TU Berlin-HABITAT Unit as an Einstein Fellow for the 2-year research project: “Rural-urban solidarity networks in search of an ecologically sustainable Turkey:
The crucial role of food and rurality for the future”
2020 - 2021
Asst. Prof. in Urban and Regional Planning Department at Mimar Sinan Fine Art University
2014 – 2019
Research Assistant at Mimar Sinan Fine Art University-Urban and Regional Planning Department
2010 – 2011
A co-worker at the Istanbul Branch of the Chamber of Urban Planners, editing research reports on Istanbul and mega-projects (3rd Bridge Project, Avrasya Tunnel Project, 3rd Airport Project…). In these reports, several different topics allow the evaluation of mega projects in question comprehensively.
2005 – 2009
Work experience as an urban planner in different working teams such as housing and life quality, urban transportation, environment and landscape, upper-scale planning at Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality/Istanbul Metropolitan Planning Center. This center was established in 2005 for the preparation of the Istanbul Master Plan.
2012
Crafting Peace Workshop. Kars (Turkey) and Gyumri (Armenia). International Architectural-Cultural Heritage Workshop (participation as a coordinator from Turkey).
2012 - 2014
Ph.D. fellow in a research team was conducted by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Cemal YALÇINTAN. The title of the research project titled “Gentrification Processes and Socio-Economic and Physical Effects on These Processes: The Case of Sarıyer Slums” is supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK).
2014 - 2015
Village Design Guidebook Project of Ersizlerdere Village in Kastamonu, Turkey / funded by Northern Anatolia Regional Development Agency (KUZKA) and cooperated with KUZKA and Mimar Sinan Fine Art University (Research Center)
2015
Neighborhood’s international marketplace: Modern agora for an inspiriting democratic society. Gdansk, Poland. International Planning Workshop (participation as a doctoral student).
2017
Meaning and Use of Public Space in a Diversified Society. Erfurt, Germany. International Planning Workshop (participation as a doctoral student).
2021 - 2021
Post-Doctoral Research project titled “The urban-rural relations in the form of alternative food and solidarity networks in Dresden” in the Technical University of Dresden - Faculty of Business and Economics, scholarly supported by Prof. Dr. Artem Korzhenevych.
Book Contributions
(2023) Voluntary peer review in the subject area of “Urbanism, Spatial Planning, Transportation and Infrastructure Planning, Landscape Planning”. The Research Grants Programme-German Research Foundation (DFG).
(2015) Ögdül, H., Olgun, İ. & Çalışkan, Ç. O. (Eds.). (2015). Kastamonu/Küre-Ersizlerdere Köy Tasarım Rehberi. Ankara: KUZKA.
[Editor of the book: Village Design Guidebook of Kastamonu/Küre-Ersizlerdere. Ankara: KUZKA.]
(2014) Akgün, G., Çalışkan, Ç. O., Kaya, E. & Koca, A., (Eds.). (2014). Kentleri Savunmak-Mekan Toplum ve Siyaset Üzerine. İstanbul: Notabene Yayınları.
[Editor of the book: Defending the Cities - About Place, Society, and Politics. Istanbul: Notabene Publication.]
(2014) Çalışkan Ç. O. (2014). İstanbul’da Yapılması Planlanan Projelerin Demografik ve Sosyo-Ekonomik Etkileri. In Gökmen, E., Gülersoy, N. Z. & Mutlu, Ö. E. (Eds.). İstanbul’un Geleceğini Etkileyecek Üç Proje: 3. Köprü-3. Havalimanı-Kanal İstanbul. (pp. 107-112). İstanbul: TEMA Vakfı Yayınları.
[Book chapter: Demographic and Socio-Economic Effects of the Projects Planned to Be Made in Istanbul. In: Gökmen, E., Gülersoy, N. Z. & Mutlu, Ö. E. (Eds.). Three Projects Affecting the Future of Istanbul: The Third Bridge, The Third Airport, and Canal Istanbul. (pp. 107-112). Istanbul: TEMA Foundation Publications.]
(2014) Yalçıntan, M.C., Çalışkan, Ç.O, Çılgın, K. & Dündar U. İstanbul Dönüşüm Coğrafyası. In: Candan, A. B. & Özbay, C (Eds.). 2014. Yeni İstanbul Çalışmaları: Sınırlar, Mücadeleler, Açılımlar (pp. 71-91). İstanbul: Metis Yayınları.
[Book Chapter: The New Geography of the Urban Transformations in Istanbul. In: Candan, A. B., Özbay, C. (Eds.). New Istanbul Studies: New Istanbul Studies: Boundaries, Struggles, Evolutions (pp. 71-91). Istanbul: Metis Publication.]
(2020) Çalışkan, Ç.O. (2020). Türkiye Kentleşmesi İçin Yeni Bir Yol: Kır-Kent Dayanışma Ağları. In: Ertaş, H. & Toprak, D. (Eds.). Ortaklaşa: Kenti Müşterekleştirmek (pp. 101-113). Avrupa Kültür Vakfı Destek Projesi. Ankara: Ortaklaşa Yayını.
[Book chapter: New Approach for Turkey’s Urbanization: Rural-Urban Solidarity Networks. In Ertaş, H. & Toprak, D. (Eds.). In Commons: Commoning the City (pp. 101-113). Funded by European Cultural Foundation. Ankara: Ortaklaşa Publications.]
(2022) ÇALIŞKAN, Ç. O. 2022, ‘Pursuit of Hope in The Ecological Crisis of The Anthropocene Era: The Promise of Degrowth and Agroecology Approaches to Ecological Sustainability and Some implications for Turkey’, From Wealthy to Healthy Cities: Urbanism and Planning for the Well-being of Citizens - The 58th ISOCARP World Planning Congress, Brussels, October 3-6.
(2022) Çalışkan, Ç. O. 2022. İstanbul Kanalı Projesi’ne Kuşbakışı Bakmak: Kır-Kent-Ekoloji İlişkisi Üzerinden Kentin Yakın Geleceğini Anlama Çabası. In: Ercan, F., Tezer, S.T. (Eds.). Kanal İstanbul Projesi'ndeki Türkiye. Bağlam Yayınları. İstanbul (ISBN 978-605-9911-92-4)
[A Bird's Eye View of the 'Canal Istanbul Project': An Effort to Understand the Near Future of the City Through the Lens of the Rural-Urban-Ecology Relationship. In: Ercan, F., Tezer, S.T. (Eds.). Turkey in the Canal Istanbul Project. Bağlam Publications. Istanbul. (ISBN 978-605-9911-92-4)]
Research Reports
(2012) Çalışkan, Ç. O. İstanbul ve Büyük Ulaşım Projeleri (Marmaray, Avrasya Tüneli, 3. Köprü, Taksim Meydanı). İstanbul: Türkiye Yeşiller Partisi Yayınları.
[Istanbul and Mega Transportation Projects (Marmaray, Eurasia Tunnel, the Third Bridge, Taksim Square). Istanbul: Turkish Green Party Publications.
(2011) Çalışkan, Ç. O. Evaluation Report on Eurasia Tunnel Project. Ankara: Chamber of Urban Planners Publications
(2010) Çalışkan, Ç. O. Evaluation Report on The Third Bridge Project. Ankara: Chamber of Urban Planners Publications.]
Other articles and publications
(2010) Tezer, Tezer, A., Çalışkan, Ç. O., Çalık, M. M., & Sınmaz, S. (2010). Assessing Urban Transportation Development: Sustainable Transportation Perspectives for Istanbul, Turkey. In Sustainable Urban and Regional Infrastructure Development: Technologies, Applications, and Management (pp. 231-245). IGI Global.
(2018) Çalışkan, Ç.O., & Tezer, A. (2018). Türkiye Kentleşmesinin Çok Boyutlu Sürdürülemezliğinde Yeni Bir Yol Arayışı: Orta Ölçekli Kentler Üzerinden Kır-Kent Dayanışma Ağları. Planlama, Ek Sayı 1, 73-90. doi: 10.14744/planlama.2018.66376
[Article: In Search of a New Way in Multi-Dimensional Unsustainability of Turkey’s Urbanization: Urban-Rural Solidarity Networks in Medium-Sized Cities. Planning, Additional Issue 1, 73-90. DOI: 10.14744/planlama.2018.66376]]
(2018) Öğdül, H., Gül, M., Olgun, İ., Yücel, S. D. K. & Çalışkan, Ç. O. (2018). Küre-Ersizlerdere Köy Tasarım Rehberi; Süreç ve Yöntem Üzerine Bir Tartışma. Planlama, 28, 1-14. doi: 10.14744/planlama.2018.98700
[Article: Küre-Ersizlerdere Village Design Guide: A Debate on Process and Methodology. Planlama, 28, 1-14. DOI: 10.14744/planlama.2018.98700]
(2023) Rethinking the agri-food system and rurality in overcoming today's polycrisis through the case of Turkey. Session 16.3 - Uneven rural development in times of the polycrisis: New economic outlook: Strategies for the circular economy, sustainable development and degrowth. The RURALGEO 2023 - 3rd European Rural Geographies Conference, Groningen, June 26-29. on"
(2022) From Wealthy to Healthy Cities: Urbanism and Planning for the Well-being of Citizens - The 58th ISOCARP World Planning Congress, Brussels, October 3-6.
Yalçıntan, M. C., Çalışkan, Ç. O., Çılgın, K., & Dündar, U. (2012). İstanbul Dönüşüm Coğrafyası. 3. Kentsel ve Bölgesel Araştırmalar Sempozyumu. ODTÜ, Ankara.
[Paper and seminar on: The Geography of Urban Transformation in Istanbul, 3rd Urban and Regional Research Symposium, Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara]
Yalçıntan, M. C., Çalışkan, Ç. O., Çılgın, K., & Dündar, U. Dönüşümün Tezahür Biçimleri: Sarıyer/İstanbul Örneği. 8 Kasım Dünya Şehircilik Günü 37. Kolokyumu, 6-7-8 Kasım 2013. DEÜ Üniversitesi, İzmir.
[Paper and seminar on: 'How does gentrification manifest itself in the urban space: Example of Sariyer/Istanbul November 8, International Day of Urbanization 37th Colloquium November 6-8 2013. DEÜ University, Izmir.]
Çalışkan, Ç.O., Tezer, A., “Türkiye Kentleşmesinin Çok Boyutlu Sürdürülemezliğinde Yeni Bir Yol Arayışı: Orta Ölçekli Kentler Üzerinden Kır-Kent Dayanışma Ağları”, 8 Kasım Dünya Şehircilik Günü 41. Kolokyumu 7-8-9 Kasım 2017, Selçuk Üniversitesi, Konya.
[Paper and seminar on: In Search of a New Way in Multi-Dimensional Non-sustainability of Turkey’s Urbanization: Urban-Rural Solidarity Networks in Medium-Sized Cities”, November 8, International Day of Urbanization 41st Colloquium November 7-9, 2017, Selçuk University, Konya.]
Invited seminars and panels
'Orient Express Journey to Kars', Architectural Design Problems Graduate Studies Seminar, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Faculty of Architecture Master Program, December 2018
'Hierarchy of Plans, City and Law Workshop', Istanbul Branch of Chamber of Architects, March 2015
Briefing Panel on revisions of masterplans of Istanbul islands (Yassıada ve Sivriada) and construction process, The Defense of the Islands Platform (Adalar Savunması), February 2014, Istanbul Prinkipo Island
'How to Read Plans? Planning, Urbanization, and Gentrification Correlation in Istanbul', Istanbul Bar Association, 2014
'City and Planning for Local Authorities', The Greens and Left Future Party Local Authority panel, 2014
'Understanding Istanbul: Megaprojects and Istanbul', Northern Forest Defense Platform, Istanbul, September 2013
'Invitation to Local: Ecomuseum, Rural Tourism, Local Wisdom, Local Production and Consumption, Policies and Experiences on Sustainable Life', with Ilhan Koçulu, the Founder of the Boğatepe Rural Model, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Wednesday Seminars, April 2013
(2015) The Necessity and Potential Impacts and of Third Bridge Project for Istanbul / Thematic lecture for the students of İstanbul Technical University-Urban and Regional Planning Department
(2009) ‘Invitation to Local: Ecomuseum, Rural Tourism, Local Wisdom, Local Production and Consumption, Policies and Experiences on Sustainable Life', with Ilhan Koçulu, the Founder of the Boğatepe Rural Model / Thematic lecture for the students of İstanbul Technical University-Urban and Regional Planning Department
(2015) The Necessity and Potential Impacts and of Third Bridge Project for Istanbul / Thematic lecture for the students of İstanbul Technical University-Urban and Regional Planning Department
04.2021 - 07.2021
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Technical University of Dresden - Faculty of Business and Economics, Germany
01.01.2020-31.01.2020
01.09.2019-31.10.2019
Post-Doctoral researcher at University of Duisburg-Essen as an Academy In Exile Program’s Fellow, Germany
01.11.2019 - 31.12.2019
Post-Doctoral researcher at Alice Salomon Hochschule, as a Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung’s Fellow, Germany
2011
Honorable Mention, National Architecture and Urban Design Idea Project Competition of Afyonkarahisar Republic Square and Surrounding, Afyonkarahisar Municipality