From Balcony to French Window: Effects of Urban Transformatıon on Local People of Suadiye and Bostancı Districts

Abstract

This paper aims to discuss the effects of urban transformation on local people of Suadiye and Bostancı Districts in Kadıköy - İstanbul regarding people’s life styles, habits, and relation with built environment. After the 17th August 1999 earthquake, the government has supported urban transformation for risky and dangerous buildings even in some cases for the whole of a district. As a result of this support, especially more profitable districts have undergone a rapid environmental change. Suadiye and Bostancı are the two examples of this situation. In this paper, general characteristics of urbanization and urban transformation and their relation with the socio-cultural sustainability in the Suadiye and Bostanci are analysed by design thinking methods. In order to understand the governmental aspects of urban transformation, at first urban transformation laws are expressed briefly. After the brief explanation, effects of urban transformation on local people are discussed. The discussion is supported by the observations, desktop research, self-experiences and literature review. The discussion is especially focused on the shift from the balcony to French windows because of implicit and explicit meanings of the balcony. Consequently, environmental stress depending on the urban transformation on local people of Suadiye and Bostancı is emphasized and concerns about the losing certain cultural values of the districts are shared.

Keywords

• Urban Transformation,Environmental Stress,Istanbul

References

1. [1]. B.Arıkan, “Transformation Of The Urban Space And Stratification In The Housing Stock: The Case Of Feneryolu Neighborhood”, M. thesis, Istanbul Technical University, Institute of Physical Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey, March 2013 .
2. [2]. R. Barker, “Behavioral Settings: Defining Attributes and Varying Properties”, in Ecological Psychology: Concepts and Methods for Studying the Environment of Human Behavior Stanford, Ca: Stanford University Press., pp:183-193, 1968
3. [3]. R.D. Caplan, “Person-Environment Fit Theory and Organizations: Commensurate Dimensions, Time Perspectives, and Mechanisms”, Journal of Vocational Behavior, vol. 31, pp.268-267, 1987.
4. [4]. D.M. Hummon, “House, Home and Identity in Contemporary American Culture”, in ed. S. L. and ed. E. C. in Housing, Culture and Design. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1989.