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

Year 2017, Volume: 2 Issue: 1, 121 - 126, 25.02.2017

İlayda Soyupak

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

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