The Cases of Amsterdam and Istanbul

307 Pages·2014·16.94 MB·English

A Comparative Look at Residents’
Displacement Experiences:
The Cases of Amsterdam and Istanbul
Bahar Sakızlıoğlu
ISBN 978 90 6266 360 6
Cartography, figures and lay-out:
Communication & Marketing (8628), Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University
Printed by:
CPI Wohrmann, Zutphen
Copyright © 2014 Bahar Sakızlıoğlu. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may
be reproduced in any form, by print or photo print, microfilm or any other means, without
written permission by the publishers.
A Comparative Look at Residents’
Displacement Experiences:
The Cases of Amsterdam and Istanbul
Een vergelijkend onderzoek naar bewonerservaringen met
gedwongen verhuizingen in Amsterdam en Istanbul
(met een samenvatting in het Nederlands)
Proefschrift
ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Universiteit Utrecht
op gezag van de rector magnificus, prof. dr. G.J. van der Zwaan,
ingevolge het besluit van het college voor promoties
in het openbaar te verdedigen op
vrijdag 16 mei 2014 des middags te 2.30 uur
door
Nur Bahar Sakızlıoğlu Uitermark
geboren op 30 april 1980
te İzmir, Turkije
Promotor:
Prof.dr. J. van Weesep
Co-promotoren:
Dr. G. Bolt
Dr. H. Rittersberger-Tılıç
5
Table of Contents
List of Boxes 9
List of Figures 9
List of Photos 9
List of Tables 10
Acknowledgments 11
Chapter 1 Introduction 15
1.1 A comprehensive and comparative approach to displacement 16
1.1.1 Approaching displacement as a process 16
1.1.2 Bridging macro and micro theory 17
1.1.3 Examining boundary making 18
1.1.4 Incorporating a comparative perspective 18
1.1.5 Studying the experience and agency of displaced residents 19
1.2 This research in a nutshell 21
1.3 Outline of the study 21
Chapter 2 Conceptual and Theoretical Framework 23
2.1 Harvey’s conceptualization of accumulation by dispossession 23
2.2 Accumulation by dispossession, neoliberal urbanization and displacement 25
2.3 What is displacement? 27
2.4 Displacement in gentrification literature 29
2.5 Impacts of displacement and factors shaping displacement experiences 30
2.6 Literature review of displacement in Turkish cities 34
2.7 Literature review: Displacement and urban restructuring in Dutch cities 37
Summary 39
Chapter 3 Methodology 41
3.1 Research design and methodology 41
3.1.1 Case Selection 41
3.2 The fieldwork and the data 44
3.2.1 Data collection techniques 44
3.2.2 Reflection on the fieldwork experience: Field notes and personal diary 52
3.3 Data Analysis 53
6
3.3.1 Use of computer-aided qualitative analysis software (CAQDAS) 53
3.3.2 Coding process 53
3.4 Methodological limitations of the research 53
Chapter 4 Urban Policies and Gentrification in Amsterdam 57
4.1 Evolution of urban policies and gentrification in Amsterdam 58
4.1.1 Post-war reconstruction and piecemeal gentrification 58
4.1.2 Neoliberalization of urban and housing policy and infiltration of
gentrification into urban policy 60
4.1.3 Infiltration of gentrification into urban policy 62
4.2 Forty ‘problem neighborhoods’ 65
4.3 Relocation Policy 66
4.4 G rassroots mobilization against urban renewal and state-led gentrification
in Amsterdam 67
Summary 69
Chapter 5 The Setting of and Urban Renewal Projects in
Indische Buurt/Amsterdam 71
5.1 The neighborhood setting 71
5.1.1 Location: Where is Indische Buurt? 71
5.1.2 Indische Buurt through time: A brief history of the neighborhood 72
5.1.3 Physical characteristics 78
5.1.4 Social characteristics of Indische Buurt 79
5.2 Indische Buurt as a lived space: Indische Buurt in residents’ perception 87
5.2.1 Whose neighborhood is Indische Buurt? 87
5.2.2 Residents’ attachment to and satisfaction with their neighborhood and
houses before displacement 91
5.2.3 Relations in the neighborhood before displacement 94
5.2.4 Problems in the neighborhood before displacement 97
Summary 98
Chapter 6 Displacement Experiences in Indische Buurt/Amsterdam 101
6.1 Renewal processes at Ceramplein and Van der Pek block 101
6.2 Residents’ experiences of the urban renewal policy and displacement pressure 105
6.2.1 Residents’ opinions about the discourse regarding urban renewal
in Indische Buurt 105
6.2.2 Motivations behind dis/approval of the project 108
6.2.3 Residents’ opinions about who will benefit from the project 110
6.2.4 Satisfaction with resident participation, information, guidance and
provisions provided during the process 112
7
6.2.5 Residents’ experiences of living under the threat of displacement 116
6. 3 Impacts of displacement 126
6.4 Household and collective strategies 136
6.4.1 Household strategies 136
6.4.2 Collective strategies: Resident platform? 139
Conclusion 141
Chapter 7 Urban Policies and Gentrification in Istanbul 145
7.1 Urban policies and development in Istanbul 145
7.1.1 Urban expansion and populist clientelism: 145
7.1.2 Early neoliberal urbanization: 1980-2000 146
7.1.3 Urban transformation projects and state-led gentrification 152
7.2 Three waves of gentrification in Istanbul 158
7.3 C ollective strategies against displacement: Grassroots mobilizations
against urban transformation projects 159
Summary 161
Chapter 8 The Neighborhood Setting and Urban Renewal Project in
Tarlabaşı/Istanbul 163
8.1 The setting of Tarlabaşı 163
8.1.1 Location: Where is Tarlabaşı? 163
8.1.2 Tarlabaşı in time: A brief history of an ‘island of decay in a sea of renewal’ 165
8.1.3 Physical characteristics of and infrastructure in the neighborhood 166
8.1.4 Socio-economic characteristics of the neighborhood 168
8.2 Tarlabaşı as a lived space: Tarlabaşı in residents’ perception 179
8.2.1 Whose neighborhood is Tarlabaşı? 178
8.2.2 Residents’ attachment to and satisfaction with their neighborhood
and houses/shops before displacement 185
8.2.3 Relations in the neighborhood before displacement 187
8.2.4 Problems in the neighborhood before the displacement:
See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil 189
8.2.5 Importance of living in Tarlabaşı 190
Summary 192
Chapter 9 Displacement Experiences in Tarlabaşı/Istanbul 193
9.1 Tarlabaşı renewal process: Tarlabaşı as the ‘Champs-Élysées of Istanbul’ 193
9.2 R esidents’ experiences with the urban renewal policy and living under
the threat of displacement 196
9.2.1 Residents’ opinions about municipal discourse regarding urban renewal
in Tarlabaşı 197
8
9.2.2 Motivations behind dis/approval of the project 198
9.2.3 Residents’ opinions about who will benefit from the project 199
9.2.4 Satisfaction with information, provisions and resident participation
during the process 200
9.2.5 Residents’ experiences of living under the threat of displacement 202
9.3 Impacts of displacement 218
9.4 Household and collective strategies 223
9.4.1 Household strategies 223
9.4.2 Collective strategies: Resisting the urban renewal project 225
Conclusion 235
Chapter 10 A Comparative Look at Displacement Experiences in Amsterdam
and Istanbul 237
10.1 Th e macro-level political-economic dynamics that cause displacement of
individual renters in Amsterdam and Istanbul 237
10.2 H ow it works locally: putting processes of urban renewal under the
theoretical lens of accumulation by dispossession 238
10.2.1 State redistributions 238
10.2.2 Privatization and commodification 239
10.2.3 Financialization 240
10.2.4 Management and manipulation of crises 240
10.3 Displacement experiences under a comparative lens 241
10.3.1 Experiences of the policy and living under the threat of displacement 242
10.3.2 Impacts of displacement 249
10.3.3 Household and collective strategies 252
Conclusion 254
Notes 261
Bibliography 271
Summary 283
Nederlandse Samenvatting 285
Appendix 287
Curriculum Vitae 306
9
List of Boxes
6.1 Mr. N’s satisfaction with housing conditions of the new house 129
6.2 Precariousness in the housing market: Mr. OA’s couch-surfing 130
6.3 Having good contacts counts: Ms. XI was offered another flat after displacement 137
8.1 Different Tarlabaşı’s: ‘Your time in Tarlabaşı is over. It is already 7…’ 179
9.1 Demolition day 205
9.2 Pressures on renters: Mrs. SD’s case 207
9.3 Place attachment: The elderly Tarlabaşı resident and his flowers 212
List of Figures
4.1 I ncome groups and housing segments compared, 2008 63
4.2 I ncome groups and housing segments compared, as targeted in 2020 63
5.1 Location of Indische Buurt in Amsterdam 71
5.2 Map of Indische Buurt showing the four quadrants 72
5.3 Th e Location of Van der Pek and Ceramplein blocks in Indische Buurt 73
5.4 C oncentration of households with minimum income in neighborhoods
compared to the Amsterdam average 81
6.1 Relocation neighborhoods of Ceramplein residents 127
6.2 Relocation neighborhoods of Van der Pek block residents 127
7.1. Changes in economic activity profiles of neighborhoods, Istanbul 151
8.1 Location of Beyoğlu in Istanbul 163
8.2 Location of Tarlabaşı and Tarlabaşı Renewal Area in Beyoğlu 164
9.1 Relocation neighborhoods of Tarlabaşı residents 217
List of Tables
5.1 The composition of the housing stock in Indische Buurt 76
5.2 Indische Buurt population by ethnicity in 2011 79
5.3 Comparison of housing stock, Indische Buurt in 2011 80
5.4 Unemployment in Indische Buurt 83
5.5 Residents aged between 15-64 receiving WWB benefits 83
5.6 Objective and subjective safety in Indische Buurt according to
the safety index in 2010 84
5.7 Nuisance as perceived by Indische Buurt residents, 2009/2010 84
5.8 The change in average waiting time for social housing in years 85
8.1 The percentage of migrants by year of migration 169
8.2 Households’ duration of residence in their current housing and in Tarlabaşı 169
8.3 Tarlabaşı population with respect to arrival periods and regions of origins 171
8.4 Household heads by employment sector 173
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A.1 Residential Data of Displaced Residents – Regular Renters – Ceramplein 288
A.2 General Data of Displaced Residents of Ceramplein – Regular Renters 289
A.3 Residential Data of Displaced Residents – Regular Renters – Van der Pek Block 290
A.4 General Data of Displaced Residents – Regular Renters – Van der Pek Block 292
A.5 Residential Data of Displaced Residents – Temporary Renters – Ceramplein 294
A.6 General Data of Displaced Residents – Temporary Renters – Ceramplein 295
A.7 Residential Data of Tarlabaşı Residents 296
A.8 General Data of Tarlabaşı Residents 299
A.9 General Data of Tarlabaşı Residents 303
List of Photos
5.1 Timorplein 76
5.2 Bornehof at Javaplein (after renovation) 77
5.3 Changing face of Javastraat 78
5.4 Gentrification on Javaplein 86
5.5 Javastraat: Mixed and vibrant face of Indische Buurt 89
6.1 Ceramplein Block in Indische Buurt 101
6.2 Van Der Pek Block in Indische Buurt 102
6.3 Moving Process at Ceramplein 115
6.4 Moving Process at Ceramplein 118
8.1 A monumental building on Sakızağacı Street in Tarlabaşı 167
8.2 Tarlabaşı streets before displacement 181
8.3 Tarlabaşı: a Kurdish neighborhood 184
9.1 Advertisement boards of Tarlabaşı Renewal Project 194
9.2 Fıçıcı Abdi Street before and after renewal 195
9.3 First demolitions in Tarlabaşı 203
9.4 Moving Process in Tarlabaşı 218
9.5 S.O.S demonstration on Tarlabaşı Boulevard 229