Globalisation, politics and planning decisions : a case study of Koc University in Istanbul (original) (raw)

Globalisation, higher education, and urban growth coalitions: Turkey's foundation universities and the case of Koc University in Istanbul

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are not only the rising actors of the knowledge-based economyöthey are also among the concrete physical structures taking part in the transformation of cities. As large physical constructions, they have the potential to affect urban form. Moreover, HEIs have also begun to act as developers and their locations have become a matter of concern for local politics. In the global era, there are a number of driving forces in the restructuring and location patterns of the HEIs in cities. The nonprofit ^ private foundation universities (FUs) that were introduced into the Turkish higher education (HE) system in the past decade, and in particular Koc° University (KU), illustrate these issues clearly. Possible relations between globalisation and HE are presented with reference to the restructuring of the HEIs. This is related to the desire to locate at the nodes of global flows. The location of the FUs in Istanbul, Turkey, and in particular of KU, is the focus. The motivation of the actors in the process is assessed in relation to the theoretical issues. The authors present the growth coalition and local opposition that were significant in the decision-making process relating to KU.

Globalisation and the role of the Turkish state: Case study of urban policy in Istanbul

2007

Globalisation has been a dominant theme in much social science text over the last two decades. According to this literature, although one of the most significant changes in the world economy has been a dramatic increase in the mobility of capital, globalisation is not a purely economic phenomenon. Alongside the global economic change, there has been a distinct set of political changes, shifting the reach of political power and forms of rule. This economic and political transformation taking place globally redefines the roles of both the nation state and cities since a growing amount of mobile capital is attracted to particular world cities given the right mix of incentives and attributes. Due to changes in the economy of cities, contemporary cities are today being managed and governed with more proactive urban strategies of the central and local governments. In the light of these theoretical arguments, the thesis first examines political and economic changes in both the Turkish stat...

Abstract Globalization and Development Strategies for Istanbul: Regional Policies and Great Urban Transformation Projects

Multinational economic aspects of globalization have led certain cities to become so-called “world cities ” or “global cities”. In this process cities, particularly metropolises which are the arenas of global interaction, have redefined the conditions and the processes of regional and local developments and have regenerated the new infrastructural conditions of the global economy while seeking to identify their advantages, assets and power to compete with other cities. Istanbul, which is one of the largest metropolises of the world, is in a similar transformation process with the other metropolises. The city has been affected from the globalization process due to its geographical and strategic location, historical and cultural assets, dynamism and functional capacities. While the emergence of new development modes such as foreign direct investments and attractiveness of the service sector has been observed in the socio-economical and spatial aspects at the national and local level, ...

How and Why We Can't Make Plans That Work: Differing Diffusion Patterns of International Models in Istanbul

2008

This article is one of the by-products of ongoing research on the urban production practices, the planning system and their implications on the development of Istanbul. It focuses on the diffusion of international ideas and experiences and its effects on the constitution of the urban planning system in Istanbul. The differing diffusion patterns of these ideas and experiences seem to provoke two conflicting processes, one in favour and the other against the urban planning system. This duality seems to be one of the reasons of the ongoing deficiency of the urban planning system.

HOW AND WHY WE CAN'T MAKE PLANS THAT WORK: DIFFERING DIFFUSION PATTERNS OF INTERNATIONAL MODELS IN ISTANBUL 1

This article is one of the by-products of ongoing research on the urban production practices, the planning system and their implications on the development of Istanbul. It focuses on the diffusion of international ideas and experiences and its effects on the constitution of the urban planning system in Istanbul. The differing diffusion patterns of these ideas and experiences seem to provoke two conflicting processes, one in favour and the other against the urban planning system. This duality seems to be one of the reasons of the ongoing deficiency of the urban planning system.

AN ANALYSIS OF THE CHANGING ROLE OF ISTANBUL AS A MEGACITY IN THE WORLD

2019

Istanbul is a unique part of the world because of not only its history, but also its function as a bridge from the point of economic, social and cultural interrelations. There are many cities, which are settled near a water source; however, Istanbul is the only city that is settled between two continents and two seas. All these features create some opportunities and threats for the city in terms of hinterland relations and the spatial structure. This paper aims to find out the economic, social and cultural impact of globalization on the spatial structure and the hinterland relations of Istanbul while discussing the city's contradictory positions as an edge of Europe and as a bridge between the East and the West. Within this scope, we made a multiscale analysis considering interregional and inter-urban relations and their socio-spatial imprints within the boundaries of the city. Firstly, we made a comparative analysis to understand the changing position of Istanbul in the world in the 21st century by using global and regional indexes. Secondly we examined the change in the hinterland relations of the city by investigating the flows of people, goods, services and ideas between other regions / cities and the city of Istanbul in time. Thirdly, we traced the spatial imprints of these flows and interactions within the city in terms of relocations and displacements. Our study shows the growing importance of the city not only as a part of Europe but also as a node and bridge for the globalized world while emphasising socio-cultural and socioeconomic tensions within the city as a result of this process.