Urban reneval process in Turkey : - General overview, economic and social analysis

Abstract: Turkish metropolises suffer poor infrastructure systems and weak structures due to unplanned urbanization as a result of migration waves from rural to urban. Slum clearance was a necessity to provide safe and quality life in the metropolises. Through the enaction of related laws and establishment of Housing Development Administration of Turkey (TOKİ) a new era started on urban regeneration. Since 90’s Turkey has been implementing several Urban Regeneration Projects (URP) due to fortify and change the urban structure. Some of those URPs are succeeded others are not. This paper elucidates the urbanization and squatter history of Turkey since 60’s in parallel with clarification of terms like urban area, urbanization and urban transformation, in order to understand the background of urban transformation in Turkey. Also, squatter areas and methods that implemented to transform them are defined. Finally, several URPs are demonstrated to discuss pros & cons.