Rescaling of spatial planning authorities in Türkiye: The case of Bağcılar square urban transformation project

Neoliberal urban policies often tout decentralization, yet in Türkiye, they have paradoxically facilitated a renewed and intensified centralization of spatial planning under the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change (MEUCC). While Türkiye has a long-standing tradition of centralized planning, post-2011 reforms—particularly the establishment of the MEUCC—have significantly concentrated planning authority in the central government. Through a qualitative analysis of legal and institutional frameworks, judicial rulings, and the Bağcılar Square Urban Transformation Project, this study reveals how ‘risk area’ designations are used to bypass participatory mechanisms and expedite the commodification of urban space. Extending Brenner’s state-rescaling framework, the article argues that Türkiye exemplifies a distinctive form of authoritarian neoliberal urbanization, in which regulatory instruments support capital accumulation while weakening democratic oversight. The findings underscore a global tension: while neoliberalism rhetorically promotes decentralization, neoliberal urbanization often relies on centralized state power to implement market-oriented urban transformation projects. The study concludes by interrogating the legitimacy of governance models that prioritize capital interests over equitable and inclusive urban development.