Urban conservation in Istanbul: evaluation and re-conceptualisation

Abstract

Istanbul's world-class heritage resources are under serious threat as a result of ineffective conservation planning. The limited achievements of urban conservation in Istanbul can only be satisfactorily explained by an analysis that encompasses both the actions of local decision-makers and the structural economic and political forces which shape the constraints and opportunities within which they act. This perspective underpins an evaluation of urban conservation in Istanbul since the 1980s and an assessment of prospects for improving practice. New policy drivers, particularly increased awareness of earthquake risk and the European Union (EU) harmonisation process, are creating the opportunity to move towards more effective policies for sustainable urban regeneration.In the context of the city's changing planning agenda and priorities, it is argued that the prospects for more effective conservation planning are improving. It is concluded that more will be achieved if traditional urban conservation planning is re-conceptualised as a component of sustainable urban regeneration.