Outcomes of parcel-based renewal practices and their overlooked cumulative effects

Although area-scale urban renewal occupies a dominant position in the planning literature and policy debates due to its significant socio-spatial impacts, the cumulative effects of piecemeal, parcel-based urban renewal are largely overlooked. Yet these piecemeal interventions possess a profound capacity to systematically transform both the urban form and socio-spatial dynamics. This article examines the spatial, economic and social outcomes of parcel-based urban renewal practices and their cumulative effects on the city. Focusing on the Bagcilar district of Istanbul, the research examines parcel-based renewal practices implemented pursuant to the Law No. 6306 on the Transformation of Areas Under Disaster Risk. To assess these spatial, social and economic impacts, the study adopts a mixed-methods approach that combines spatial density analysis (Kernel Density Estimation – KDE), quantitative property market data and in-depth qualitative interviews. The findings reveal that parcel-based renewal practices with impacts of spatial plan decisions do not produce homogeneous outcomes; rather, three distinct renewal typologies. Each typology yields distinct spatial, economic and social outcomes. The empirical evidence demonstrates that, although parcel-based renewal operates through isolated and fragmented interventions, the resulting cumulative effect creates an impact equivalent to the transformative power of area-scale mega-projects, thus systematically restructuring the city.