Impacts of Abandoned Properties in Conflict Zones (Geopolitical Brownfields) on Real Estate Development & Regeneration Possibilities: Case of Cyprus Conflict

Abstract

Abandoned areas are one of the most fundamental consequences within conflict zones, where they may appear as buffer zone, militarized areas, and closed or restricted zones. In this regard there are two complimentary discussions: one advocates the impacts of conflicts among regional policies and related actions arisen according to the facts that can produce geopolitically conflict zones, and the other one advocates the nature and origins of geopolitical conflict zones that can negatively impact the regional policies. Taking both discussions together as two dimensions among land management issues in conflict areas, and also considering conflicts in regional policies and existence of geopolitically conflict zones, would express a negative impact on any planning proposals for real estate developments and regeneration possibilities. Therefore this study attempt an investigation on these two dimensions to demonstrate the complicated realities associated with geopolitically conflict zones. Case of Cyprus conflict taken as an evidence to this study, where the rare situation of four decade of ongoing conflict became part of norm of decision making processes regarding all possible real estate development and regenerations scenarios. The study takes documentary and empirical research methods as the main methodological approach for data collection and analysis, where it particularly uses qualitative analysis in order to gain insights into the unspoken issues of real estate development difficulties within an internationally ignored conflict zones such as North Cyprus.