Public Spaces and Istanbul

Public spaces, which are essential for the liveability of the cities, face many challenges in the globalization times. In the urban areas all around the world, a process of motorization, privatization and commercialization of public spaces is going on. Istanbul, as a city rapidly globalizing, faces these challenges intensively. The formation and the use of public spaces in Istanbul have been changing throughout the history, as mentioned and exemplified in this book. But after the modernization, the issue of public spaces became highly critical for the city. This book discusses all these aspects by focusing the example of Tophane area, a historical harbour at the Bosphorus. Even though the area played an important role in the public scene of Ottoman Istanbul, it is used to be a partly unused trade harbour since 50 years.Since 2001, a project called Galataport was in the agenda for the regeneration of the harbour area. In the last chapters of this book, this project is analyzed and criticized according to the urban design criteria of a specific academic work. Lastly, an alternative urban design approach is proposed by focusing on the critical aspect: public spaces.