Similar Processes, Divergent Outcomes: A Comparative Analysis of Urban Redevelopment Projects in Three Turkish Cities


Kuyucu T., Danis D.

URBAN AFFAIRS REVIEW, vol.51, no.3, pp.381-413, 2015 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 51 Issue: 3
  • Publication Date: 2015
  • Doi Number: 10.1177/1078087414553818
  • Journal Name: URBAN AFFAIRS REVIEW
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.381-413
  • Keywords: urban redevelopment, urban governance theory, methodology, LOCAL-GOVERNMENT, REGENERATION, CITY, GOVERNANCE, POLITICS, GLASGOW, ENGLAND, TURKEY, PLACE, POWER
  • Galatasaray University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

The recent literature on neoliberal urban redevelopment is marked by a gap between theory and empirical research. While there exists a lively theoretical debate regarding the context-bound and spatially heterogeneous character of redevelopment, there is less effort to explain the heterogeneity through empirical studies. We argue that we can identify the specific contextual and macro-structural factors producing the variegated neoliberal redevelopment trajectories with carefully constructed comparative studies. To this end, we compare divergent redevelopment processes in three secondary Turkish cities. Based on in-depth interviews, close documentary analysis, and descriptive statistics, our research highlights the role of coalitions formed among local elites and their ties with central-state agents in determining how neoliberal transformations take shape. Even in a highly centralized country, such as Turkey, it is the varying capacity of local actors to form collaborative networks that explains why divergent redevelopment outcomes emerge across similar cities.