Istanbul Neighborhoods and Urban Development - Essay Example

ISTANBUL NEIGHBORHOODS AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT By Location Introduction Istanbul neighborhoods have gone through major urban development from 1970s to the present day. The development in the city has led to a lot of informal settlements cropping up as well as high-end market homes for the wealthy. The relationship between neighbors in the 1970s is different from the kind of relationship Istanbul neighborhoods are experiencing at the moment. The paper will be about changes in the city due to urban development in regards to the community. Body There are things about Istanbuls neighborhoods that have not experienced any changes since the time of the Byzantine. The used book bazaar has been in Istanbul for a long time, despite the urban developments that the city has experienced. The bazaar is a magnet for people who are interested in getting literary books at a cheaper price. The 1970s, before urban development in Istanbul, it was a tourist attraction based on the rich culture of the Turkish people. The togetherness and friendliness of the Turkish people made the visitors go visit again while enjoying the Turkish culture (Bartu & Ozbay 2014). The streets of Istanbul were dark and did not have any life after dark. The people went home early to avoid the activities of the night. The site is contrary to the modern day Istanbul that is well lit and has a twenty-four-hour economy. The neighborhood had a productive life in the 1970s, where different families would go and hang out at the park together. They lived as one family. Urbanization has robbed the people the life of togetherness as there is no time or a safe place where families can go for a breath of fresh air together. Gezi Park was a common area where friends, lovers and neighbors net for a beautiful afternoon of relaxation. Modernization, however, has taken this kind of privilege from the people and the park no longer exists. Tall buildings now lay in that area where businesses take place (Stokes 2000). There were Jewish quarters in Istanbul before the new government and urban development. The Jewish communities were living as one family because they are the minority in the country. Different times and different events have made the Jewish community move from their quarters. The place has minimal to no Jewish people as half of them have gone to find a way of living in other neighborhoods (RSD 2002). The Jewish community has now adopted the new Turkish design, and everyone is living in the area. The city is alive near the Golden Horn where life is on the fast lane. The other side of the area is, however, silent in the winding streets of the hill (Berube 2010). The community is now dominated by Muslims and almost all the women now wear a headscarf when they get out of their homes. The young generation is few in the neighborhood as most of the people living in the area are above forty years of age. The area has no tourists coming to the place as it had some time ago. Fener is a former Greek neighborhood where Greeks and their families lived before the 1980s. The people shared their experiences together as everyone knew each other around the corner. The area had vast land with few buildings. The area is now different from what it was like in the 1980s. Playing area for the children was significant, and there was room for movement. The roads were not developed because vehicles were not common among the neighborhood. The people were friendly and trusted people. The generosity and acceptance of the population in Fener neighborhood have changed as people in the area are now mean to the visitors. People that initially lived in the area have long moved away, though there are a few that still reside in the area (ABPRS 2013). Balat area has old people who have been living in the field for a long time and knew the history of the neighborhood. The area still has merchants everywhere doing trade. The area has old buildings that are a cultural attraction to the tourists. Cihangir is another neighborhood that had previous Greek occupants that got evicted away from the area. The community ended up becoming a red light district in the 1970s because the people who had involvement in trade and commercialization of the area were no there anymore. The neighborhood has however, gone through some significant changes, and it is now an elite area of writers and artists. The area has elegant cafes and the rent to live in the area has skyrocketed over time. The few elite that can afford the sophisticated lifestyle are the ones living in the area. Cihangir revitalization is due to a series of different engines including the Museum of Innocence. The museum location is in the Burgundy building and was opened in 2012. The area is on a steep road that leads to the Golden Horn. Istanbul has always had a character of its steep and winding roads from the 1960s. The roads, however, are now in excellent conditions and modern technology has been adopted in building the roads. The museum is about the life of the people in the 1970s Istanbul. Moving further down the hill from Cihangir, there is the Karakoy Square that has a waterfront. The area is a waterfront plaza that is radiating outsiders into different avenues that have modern office buildings (IMM 2008). The city has major developments since Turgut Ozal period that saw the growth of the area and the growth of businesses. Food bazaars and appliance shops are common in the area. These stores and food markets were not common in the early years as people would cook at home and preferred homemade meals. The people are now very busy and have busy schedules that they prefer ready-made food that the food bazaars offer to them. Street vendors are still common as they were fifty years ago, and they offer different kinds of juice and cheaper food for the ones that cannot afford the food from the food bazaars. One of the steep avenues has an illegal brothel that is government sanctioned with police officers outside the building guarding it. Karakoy neighborhood has the same line of bicycle shops that were there fifty years ago. The line has been a center of trade for bicycles both for adults and children. One of the oldest subterranean transit lines has a location in this area with a passageway that leads to the tunnel. The transit line consists of a two-way subway that had its construction in 1875 by French engineers. The subway has been operational since then with modification and a little modernization done to the subway. The tube links Karakoy square to the embassy district located in the central Beyoglu district. Initially, the train that was a means of transport consisted of a steam engine with two wooden cars. The train system stopped after the fall of the emperor and was out of the market for over one hundred and twenty years. There is the Galata Bridge, which had its opening in 1994. It is a modern development in Turkey, and it has a concrete and steel span (OECD 2008). The technology employed in the bridge ensures the bridge will last for centuries. The bridge contains walkways and has three lanes on both sides to help curb traffic (Akin 2013). There are several businesses that have developed around the area where fish is the standard item being sold. There is Hagia Sophia is from A.D. 537 as a Greek Orthodox Basilica. The beautiful building was then converted into a mosque and later into a museum. There has been little change or development in the waterfront from what it was more than thirty years ago. The Galata Bridge is the historical epicenter of Istanbul. The bridge was originally of wood and people used to go to the wooden bridge to travel to the other side. Urban development led to the construction of the now world-class bridge that has a perfect view of the city. Tourists boats can be seen floating from the bridge. There is a new bridge that has just opened half a mile down the Golden Horn. Development in the city continues as time goes by, and experts say it will be a first world city in the next twenty years with it being an important tourist attraction in Turkey. The new bridge has brought many controversies, and people have a division between socioeconomic lines regarding the need for the white span bridge (Hammer 2014). The bridge blocks some of the views of the grandest mosques in Istanbul that are tourist attractions. The Ottoman Sultans and pashas ruled in the Eminonu neighborhood during the 1960s and 1970s. The area was where rebellious people were brought to get punished for any of their acts. The area was where the bureaucracy had its practice in Istanbul. The empire eventually collapsed. The city was a miserable town in the 1970s, and there was no much development in the country. Turkey is not considered as part of Europe, hence the status. However, the city has seen significant developments and has improved tremendously since the 1970s to the present day. Beyazit Square hosts Istanbul University that has sprawling new blocks and buildings (Brunetti 2014). The buildings are of brick and stone and have new slapdash structures. The area also has antique shops that date back to the 1800s and early 1900s. Islam is the dominant religion in Istanbul hence the number of mosques in the city. The city has several mosques that are landmarks. Umraniye region of Istanbul consists of working class people and is the as the working class district of Istanbul. The area has seen massive development due to its natural landscape and the urban design. It is believed to be the cleanest district of Istanbul. The neighborhood is silent, and people do not associate with their neighbors. Only a few people are aware of their next door neighbor. The fact that there is little to no communication between friends is because of the busy lives the people have as working class citizens. Communication has been a problem with the people. Conclusion Istanbul has gone through significant development and changes from the 1970s to date. The togetherness of the people that was there in the 1970s is no longer there as people are busy doing business and trying to make money. Urban development and growth of the city has led to less association among individuals and neighbors do not know each other. Development in Istanbul is a good thing as it will see the country become a first world country. The downside, however, is that people will no longer have time to have a close relationship with their neighbors. References ABPRS, 2013, "Population of province/district centers and towns/villages by districts - 2012". Address Based Population Registration System (ABPRS) Database. Turkish Statistical Institute. Akin, F, 2013, Crossing the Bridge and discussion on research papers, Journal of Time Out Istanbul. Bartu, CA & Ozbay, C, 2014, Yeni Istanbul Cal, malar, (The New Istanbul Studies Reader), Istanbul: Metis. Berube, A, 2010, "Global Growth on the Orient Express", Brookings Institution blog “The Avenue”. Brunetti, A, 2014, A Literary view of the city, Journal of Time Out Istanbul. Hammer, J, 2014, “Orhan Pamuk’s Istanbul”, New York Times Journal. IMM, 2008, "Population and Demographic Structure", Istanbul 2010: European Capital of Culture. Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. OECD, 2008, "OECD Territorial Reviews: Istanbul, Turkey". Policy Briefs, The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). RSD, 2002, "Area of regions in Istanbul". Regional Statistics Database (RSD). Turkish Statistical Institute. Stokes, M, 2000, Beloved Istanbul, Realism and the Transnational Imaginary in Turkish Popular Culture in Walter Armbrust. Ed. Mass Mediations, California: University of California Press. Read More