A TRANSFORMATION PROCESS IN ISTANBUL AFTER 2000s: Tesvikiye

Today, urban transformation is a significant issue that closely concerns every segment of society in contemporary Turkish cities. Topics such as the renovation of old building stock, protection against earthquake risks, the creation of new and sterile conditions, as well as aesthetics, economic features, and income generation from cities are all discussed. Although numerous laws and regulations exist to manage urban transformation and renewal processes, some examples create uncertainty, which brings about additional challenges for social actors (residents, contractors and local governments) in the field of urbanization. In historical city centers where the social and built environment is valuable, urban transformation takes on a speculative meaning, whether it is included in the protected area or not. How are the built and social environments transformed when conservation and transformation criteria are determined? In the light of this framework, this article focuses on the reflections of renewal policies by taking Teşvikiye neighborhood as a case study. Utilizing a theoretical framework based on urban morphology, the article maps the morphological periods of the district. The morphological periods of the Teşvikiye neighborhood are briefly outlined according to İlhan Tekeli’s canonical classification. This study aims to focus on the today’s transformation in the Tesvikiye neighborhood from the 2000s to the present while describing the historical situation. This article, viewing the built environment as a system that develops, transforms, and mutates over time, unveils the crucial transformations of the 2000s and critically evaluates current conditions.