Neighbourhood Regeneration in Istanbul – from Earthquake Mitigation to Planned Displacement and Gentrification

Current top-down, neo-liberal urban regeneration policies in Istanbul prioritize economic growth and gentrification over earthquake resilience, leaving vulnerable communities at risk. The study identifies three phases of post-1999 earthquake neighborhood regeneration: an initial phase focused on resilient redevelopment with minimal gentrification, a second phase dominated by controversial displacement and gentrification under pro-development policies, and a third phase where economic incentives drive profitable redevelopment rather than seismic vulnerability reduction. A case study of Bağcılar highlights both limitations and potential for improvement. The paper argues that 20th-century urbanization challenges continue to shape regeneration problems today and calls for 'bottom-up' research to evidence the social costs of current practices and propose alternative, resilient models.

Gibson, M., & Gökşin, Z. A. (2016). Neighbourhood Regeneration in Istanbul – from Earthquake Mitigation to Planned Displacement and Gentrification. International Planning History Society Proceedings, Vol. 17 No. 2 (2016): HISTORY URBANISM RESILIENCE: The Urban Fabric. https://doi.org/10.7480/IPHS.2016.2.1243