- The social Aspect of integrative urban Practice    110 kb by    Okem, Selim | okemselim@gmail.com    Short Outline The urban development investments are intensively focused on financial profitability. The paper aims to raise discussions on the (mostly ignored) social aspects of urban investments through the urban practice in Istanbul. Abstract Integrative forces in Turkish cities, more specifically in Istanbul, have intensively focused on financial profitability. On the other hand, social profitability aspect of those integrative acts which is not interpretable to financial terms has always been ignored. The premature social insurance structure in Turkey has led people to invest on real estate providing high demands within this sector and a sustaining profitability for entrepreneurs. As a result, Turkish cities have lacked the presence of sufficient public spaces. The public spaces in Turkey, and especially in Istanbul are fragmented, mostly inadequate. The spatial configuration of Turkish cities shows the conjunction of private spaces by means of a transportation artery and public spaces can not be formed in between those arteries and private spaces. Another factor that prohibits public spaces to come into formation can be found in the preparation process of the development plans. The development plans have always referred to development and settlement as a primary issue whereas the definition for public spaces and/or reservation of sites that will be of good to public (such as green belts across the cities) can not be properly made. The settlement areas shown in the development plans are fragmented into building parcels and the remaining areas are defined to be of public use such as parks, gardens, squares, natural sites etc. Consequently, the definition of public space has been dependent on a great deal of randomness and the final product is far from being satisfactory. What should have been done would perhaps be just the contrary, that is to refer in those plans to public use first and define the private areas later. The paper aims to raise discussions on the social aspects of urban investments through the urban practice in Istanbul and to mention the possible local and global threats when the investments lack the social profitability. Keywords social aspect, urban investment, public space Case Study presented on the ISOCARP Congress 2006: Cities between Integration and Disintegration   Click to open the full paper as pdf document   Click to send an email to the author(s) of this paper