Transformation of the Space in the context of Neoliberal Urbanization: The Case of Izmir New City Centre, Turkey

Abstract

The neoliberalism process of Turkey, the intersection point of the GlobalSouth and the Global North, which dates back to the 1980s whenneoliberalism became a dominant paradigm in the world, began torapidly transform urban space in the 2000s. With the transformation ofcapital out of İstanbul, the main application area of neoliberalurbanization in Turkey, the other metropolitan cities of Turkey havebeen involved in the process of neoliberalization. In İzmir, the thirdlargest metropolitan city of Turkey, the area which is declared New CityCentre (NCC) in 2003 has become one of the important application areasof neoliberal urbanization policies. The neoliberalization process of NCCis carried out through large-scale urban projects which are one of theimportant implementation tools of neoliberal urbanization policies andintervene in the economic, social and cultural areas as well as urbanspace. In this context, the aim of this study is decipher neoliberalurbanization-oriented process and variables of neoliberal urbanization process in NCC and to reveal the neoliberal spatial transformation in theregion on the basis of reproduction of the space.