Land Use Impacts of Turkish Migration to Europe: The German Case (Wiesbaden and Dortmund)

Abstract

This paper investigates how Turkish migration to Germany has influenced land use patterns and neighbourhood transformation, focusing on Wiesbaden and Dortmund. Since the 1960s, Turkish workers and their descendants have shaped urban spaces through social and cultural practices, creating areas where Turkish identity is strongly expressed. Based on retrospective interviews with migrants, the study examines how land use changes—linked to social institutions, religious practices, and community networks—have reshaped urban neighbourhoods to reflect communal needs. It also analyses the evolving responses of local and central authorities to these changes and considers whether Turkish communities have become increasingly inward-looking and semi-enclosed as a result of such spatial transformations.