Over the course of its long history, the city that is now called Istanbul has served as the urban canvas of some of the great civilisations. Perched at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, it has had more than 200 different names. With such a vibrant history, the politics of urban preservation can be tricky. Add in 14 million residents and the debate over what to protect, what to create and what to destroy can turn violent.
Municipal authorities vociferously supported by president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, himself a former mayor of Istanbul, see the city as a living testament to the imperial reach of the Ottoman Empire. In essence, the Ottoman legacy is providing the blueprint for future urban planning. Major infrastructure projects ranging from a third bridge spanning the Bosphorus to a new airport, devote incredible resources to elevating the city to its former glory.
Through a frenzy of mosque and monument restoration projects, as well as the rebuilding of long-forgotten edifices of the Ottomans, the current Turkish leadership is focused on only one of Istanbul’s multiple identities. Myriad efforts to Ottomanise the urban environment act as the glue binding this vision. As The National reported yesterday, the walls of the Ottoman city have recently received a handsome renovation budget at a time when locals are demanding more green spaces and the preservation of non-Ottoman monuments. The wall renovations will also displace a handful of unfortunate locals in the name of historical preservation.
The 2013 Gezi Park protests began as a battle over green space in the centre of Istanbul but triggered a nationwide conversation over the rule of Mr Erdogan. The protests affirmed the rule that all politics are local. With the populations of global cities on the rise, the way in which we weave urban tapestries are more a commentary on our society than simply how our cities look. From Mumbai to New York, this issue touches all of the world’s great urban centres. As Istanbul demonstrates, our ability to have an inclusive debate will dictate the future health of our cities.