A recipe for conflict in the historic environment of Istanbul: The case of Tarlabasi

Abstract

This paper aims to examine the processes of gentrification from a somewhat different point of view. It focuses on 'renovation' and 'regeneration projects', as well as the gentrification concept with regard to urban policies that have particularly enriched the holders of capital in the historic neighbourhoods of Istanbul. Gentrification, happening alongside with renovation and regeneration, reveals significant problems in the social structure of the city such as displacement, social polarization, social inequality and damage to the historical environment. This paper contributes to the expansion of the understanding of gentrification concept with a case study that is outside the scope of 'usual suspects', while theorizing the role of the Turkish state during urban transformation processes through the everyday struggles and conflicts that unfold on the ground. © 2020 Okanagan University College.