OVERVIEW

Turkey is among the most urbanized countries in the world. Having accelerated its pace since 1950s, Turkish urbanization rate has reached approximately 75 per cent: a rate comparable to that of Europe. Turkish model is unique because of not only its speed but also the scale and geographical diversity. Whilst urban population soared from 20% to 80% in only five decades, it continues to grow: the annual urbanization rate, which is 1.54 per cent, is twice times more than the European counterparts and high above the global average (0.9 %) (UN DESA, 2014). 

One of the major aspects of Turkey’s urbanization is characterized as a metropolitan effect, i.e; a course of metropolises emerging against small and medium-sized cities. While massive rural-urban migration towards large cities characterized the fuel of high urbanization previously, today’s fast-growing cities bring new challenges to administrators, planners, developers, and citizens for new understandings for both dense urban built-up and peri-urban vacant/half developed areas.  This trend becomes even more significant as one observes the imbalanced growth such as high decentralization of workplaces and labour force (together with the unexpected / changing dynamics of workplace and home), increasing number of gated communities and shopping malls, and large infrastructure projects vastly consuming the urban periphery.  The workshop will focus on understanding the peri-urban in the Turkey context.