Suleymaniye Regeneration Area

Historic Peninsula of Istanbul

Dynaming the Urban Regeneration for All: Improving Alternatives for Social Sustainability of the Suleymaniye Regeneration Process in Istanbul

Name	please enter the name here
Place	Istanbul
Country	Turkey
Topic	please enter the topic here
Author(s)	Harun Ekinoglu
Completion	Please enter the date of completion
Client	Please enter the client
Project costs	Please enter the costs (if known)


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Rationale: Why is this case study interesting?

The regeneration project of Suleymaniye area,that exists in the UNESCO world heritage sites list since 1985, is an ongoing process at the core district of Eminonu in Historical Peninsula of Istanbul under the authority of Local Administration of Istanbul. The Case study is focusing on emerging weaknesses of regeneration process such as of disregarding the existing user and their potentials reality for the area.

In this case study, the aim is to analyze an ongoing regeneration process in Istanbul`s Suleymaniye district in order to improve proposals for a comprehensive regeneration process with a strong social dimension. The case study is aiming to combine the physical intervention with the revision of social dynamics by proposals for increasing the distribution of the benefit of regeneration to the all actors existing in Suleymaniye. Strengthening the Public participation and promoting the employability rate by means of reinforcing the local economic activities through the strategic partnership with private sector investors are some most important components of the case study. The objective is offering methods for healing the results of immigration and exile that occurred at the area through the time and increasing social integration and decreasing the rate of alienation by the regeneration process.

In accordance with the intention of Local Administration to return the regeneration process at the historic but slum area of the city, into a existing-inhabitant friendly process; this case study is acting a key role by a comprehensive analysis of ongoing regeneration methodology and its policies . Thus, the results of the case study are expressions of dos and don`ts in order to re-shape the process to be able to share the opportunities of the process and enabling the social and spatial integration of the area to the Metropolitan city whole of Istanbul in economical,spatial and cultural aspects.

Author's perspective

What theoretical or professional perspective do you bring to the case study?

As a landscape architect and urban designer, I especially improved a co-thinking on relationship of the space in transformation and its user in transition. My primary demonstration in this case study is the idea of urban space has a potential to initiate a socio-cultural and socio-economic development under a well designed actors and policy network. My aim was to looking for efficient solutions on this axis for this case study.

Landscape and/or urban context

Biogeography, cultural features, overall character, history and dynamics

By the beginning of mid 16th century, the district had been called by the name of the Suleymaniye mosque and its complex that was completed in 1557. Suleymaniye had become the second one of the two most important educated/sophisticated people districts in Istanbul. What gave the name of ‘’Suleymaniye’’ to the district is basicly the Suleymaniye Mosque and its Complex that is formed by every level of schools, Madrasas, Darulhadis*, Darussifa*, Darulkurra*, Imaret (Daruzziyafe)*, Hammam, Kervansaray-Tabhane*, Arasta* and Bazaar*. Education in schools and Madrasas was the unique urban characteristics of Suleymaniye what made the district to become an area of highly educated inhabitants throughout the time.

Today in the area, number of buildings with function of being residential units for families decreased and the others are being occupied by the occupiers from the cheap or marginal sectors and students who are studying at Istanbul University. Inhabitants are mostly male and coming to Suleymaniye from different cities of the country by the internal immigration movement for working. There is also a number of dormitories at the district.

Cultural/social/political context

Brief explanation of culture, political economy, legal framework

In 20th century, same as the districts surrounding Suleymaniye, the area left her brilliancy and became the habitat of poverty. However she kept inside the functions of education and health until 1950s, and preserved its vernacular architecture even though was damaged throughout the time. Like all other woodwork material based historic Istanbul districts, Suleymaniye had fires and today there is still some streets and houses preserves its historic characteristics in the area.

History

How did the area/project/plan at the focus of the case study evolve?

Illustration: Table or time line