Post-growth Redefinition of Urban Textures: The Changing Faces of Human Scale through Eminonu and Maslak Central Business Areas in Istanbul

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between urban texture and human scale within the framework of post-growth urbanism, focusing on the contrasting central business districts of Eminonu and Maslak in Istanbul. The authors argue that conventional growth-oriented urban development has frequently prioritised economic expansion, vertical growth, and automobile infrastructure at the expense of social interaction, spatial intimacy, and environmental quality. In response, post-growth urbanism is presented as an alternative paradigm that values spatial quality, ecological integrity, and human well-being over continuous expansion. The study investigates how different urban morphologies influence everyday experience, accessibility, social cohesion, and the sense of place.