Contesting Neoliberal Urbanisation: Contemporary Urban Movements in Istanbul

Abstract

This paper examines how neoliberal economic policies have reshaped urban space and urban movements in Istanbul over the past three decades. Urban transformation projects, central to neoliberal urban development, have triggered two main forms of mobilisation: property-based reactions by deprived groups and broader protests against neoliberal policies. However, the study shows that even oppositional movements are increasingly shaped by neoliberal practices, focusing on property rights and negotiations with authorities rather than systemic change. The result is a fragmented landscape of urban movements that contest specific projects but fall short of demanding wider socio-economic or cultural transformation.