Global transformations versus local dynamics in Istanbul - Planning in a fragmented metropolis

Istanbul, as the greatest metropolis of Turkey and one of the great cities of the world, has been rapidly transforming in recent years. This paper ana lyzes various aspects of this transformation to lead to an understanding of an appropriate strategy for metropolitan governance. Recent politicial dev elopments indicate an apparent fragmentation of Istanbul citizens into segm ents with different expectations and life-styles that make new strategies o f governance urgent and vital, yet harder. Istanbul is an arena waiting for the invasion of different citizen groups with different ethnic, religious and communal backgrounds. Although Turkish urban policy has never been welf are-oriented, market and outward orientation has never been so dominant. Po licy issues seem to help the articulation with the world economy and to mak e Istanbul more attractive for foreign capital. Urban politics and governme nt cover only a limited area of urban dynamics in Istanbul. A new approach to governance requires a strategic change in the state of mind of elected m unicipal officials towards the integration of various communities into gove rning practices, regardless of their bases of formation. Recent development s give clues about the governance potential in Turkish metropolises. Istanb ul, with its urgent problems, may constitute a case study for other cities in Turkey. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.