Interactions between urban dynamics and new spatial patterns: The case of Istanbul

Abstract

Cities are increasingly concerned with fluidity and mobility, where social, cultural and economic activities can rapidly be transferred from any one locality to another. Yet, powerful effects of globalisation on economy, society, and urban environment create fragmentation as well as interesting transitions in each system. Whilst urban transformation in response to globalisation creates sharp changes in former urban textures and typologies, new spaces and identities have been produced with the formation of recent networks and encounters. This paper, therefore, examines the implications of urban and housing transformations in the city of Istanbul within the context of recent economic, cultural and political conditions. The authors aim to establish a critical discussion of the city’s texture, where separate and overlapping urban functions are easily captured through a site section.