Upgrading spontaneous settlements : an alternative view of gecekondu "self-help" housing in Istanbul

Abstract

This thesis analyzes the self-help upgrading process of three gecekondu (spontaneous) settlements in Istanbul, Turkey. It describes the complex web of relationships between local and national government, community leaders, residents, legal landowners, developers and the general public; further, it examines how these stakeholders interact to create and distribute the benefits. The "thick description" of the beneficiaries creates an alternative view of the self-help upgrading process. The project evolved continuously to reflect the changing goals of the actors involved. The national government played a particularly influential role in the upgrading process. At certain times, gecekondu residents pressured the government to legalize their settlements. At other times, however, the general public and legal landowners pressed the government to outlaw the gecekondus to protect the rights and interests of law-abiding citizens. Other actors exercised their influence at the neighborhood scale, as the results of the development in the three neighborhoods show. While Rumelihisarustu has achieved the image of a normal settlement, the other two continue to retain most of their original gecekondu image of low-income, underdeveloped neighborhoods. Istanbul Technical University, the official landowner in Armutlu and Baltalimani, has used its influence to hinder development in these two neighborhoods. While the experience of the three neighborhoods demonstrates that the upgrading process can benefit most of the stakeholders, it also indicates that without active intervention, the gecekondu community as a whole fails to capture its share of the benefits. To avoid this problem, authorities must act consistently and enforce development regulations that extend the benefits of the upgrading process from individual gecekondu owners to the broader community living in these settlements. Open communication between the different actors is a key first step in the success of this process. This thesis sets the stage for this initial step by providing essential information regarding the role of the different stakeholders, and in the course of doing so, it also establishes a useful framework for the analysis of spontaneous settlements.