An Inquiry on the Evolution of Urban Planning in Turkey

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present an inquiry on the evolution of urban planning based on economic, political and social changes that have taken place at different periods in Turkey. Legal and institutional reforms with regard to urban administration and planning reflect the main characteristics of the economic, political and social background of different transformation periods. The spatial pattern of urbanisation has evolved throughout these reforms. The paper reviews approaches to spatial planning in Turkey across five periods: from the establishment of the Republic to the aftermath of the Second World War (1923–1945); the transition period up to the beginning of planned development (1945–1960); the planned period (1960–1980); the implementation of neo-liberal Structural Adjustment Policies after 1980; and the post-2000 transition to Strategic Spatial Planning, accompanied by legal and administrative restructuring. Problems of urbanisation, such as squatter housing, provision of public services, housing shortages and inadequate infrastructure, are discussed in the context of each period. The analysis highlights how planning institutions were often ineffective, and how