VIRTUAL Barcelona Livable Cities

Abstract

The city of Istanbul in Turkey has experienced many migrations and the resulting socio-spatial changes throughout history. Due to the multicultural structure of Istanbul and the fact that it is a metropolis frequently favored by immigrants, it has a multilayered and fragmented spatial structure. This spatial structure is reinforced by the spatial clustering and segregation tendencies of immigrants who have arrived after the mass migration from Syria in 2011. In many districts, the number of ethnic stores with Arabic signs run by Syrian immigrants that emerged after the migration has increased, creating an urban and spatial landscape that resembles ‘ethnic enclave’ in the areas where such stores are concentrated. This article begins by asking how these transformations contribute to the city, whether they have positive or negative effects on the city. The main purpose of this study is to examine the ‘place-making’ processes of immigrants in some neighborhoods of Istanbul and to understand their contribution to the livability of the city. To achieve this aim, the article conducts a comparative analysis of two selected ethnic neighborhoods that have been transformed by immigrants. The changes in the spatial, social and economic characteristics of the selected areas are compared by analyzing the ‘livability status of the neighborhoods before and after the Syrian migration’. The paper concludes with findings and recommendations about livability that result from the opportunities and characteristics of the ethnic neighborhoods, highlighting the potentialities that go beyond the migrant neighborhoods. It is believed that this study will shed light on the potential of immigrants to make a certain part of a city ‘liveable’ after the migratory movements that exist in many parts of the world.