Spatial Growth of Bigadic City (Province of Balikesir)

Abstract

Bigadic town is a settlement with quite old history. City, on the eastern edge of the plain of Bigadic whice has the same name with city, was established in the western outskirts of the Alacam Mountain. The Cami, Orta and Cavus neighbourhoods forming the town centre are located around the Bigadic Castle. Bigadic Castle in town centre with an area of 155.000 m(2) is a protected area and is closed zoning area. Its population increasing over time, Bigadic showed a development from this core towards the periphery neighborhoods. Present neighbourhood number in Bigadic is 9 and spatial growth has extended north-south direction. The Alacam Mount on the east and the agricultural area on the west and north have limited the extention of the town to those directions. The putting into operetaion of the rich boron mineral reserve in Turkey 12 km to north of Bigadic, has an important effect on the development of the town. Between 1970-1980 3.000 people were employed in boron mining. But with the turn to strip mining and technological developments in mining, employe number decreased to 280-300. In 1983, The Bursa-Balikesir- Izmir highway that used to pass through the town from north to south, has been moved to Akhisar on the east direction causing to decrease the importance of the town in transportation. The Bursa-Balikesir-Usak freeway, that passes from the south of the town and is stil in construction, will affect the spatial growth and the evolution of urban functions. In the near future, the spatial growth of the town is planned towards to east and towards this freeway.