Urbanisation and suburban housing development are the foci subjects of this thesis. The process of urbanisation may differ from one country to another in terms of socio-economic and political structures, environmental characteristics and also local features. In this context, housing areas at the urban fringe of Ankara were found to have been developed highly compatible with urban land use theories / but different from the process experienced in developed countries. In this thesis, a different dimension of suburbanisation has been discussed with regards to middle and lower-middle income groups&rsquo / suburban movement. The reasons why lower-middle and lower income residents prefer to live at the urban fringe have been found out. Suburban developments have various opportunities for the households such as larger housing unit due to cheap and available land, better urban services, quiet and clean environment and privacy. However, households living in urban fringe who are relatively from middle and lower-middle income are subject to high transportation cost. It is expected that they make a trade off between lower housing units and greater commuting distances and also many opportunities of living in such a suburb. With regard to these, the process of suburbanisation of middle and lower-middle income groups in Ankara within the boundaries of Sincan and Etimesgut Quarters in terms of their social characters and the features of using their urban space and house is discussed according to plan decisions, house builder and households&rsquo / characteristics, urban development pattern of Turkey and Ankara and then Etimesgut and Sincan, considering the theoretical basis and historical process.

The aim of the thesis is to analyze the reasons and consequences of international labor migration of women workers into Turkey. With the process of new global restructuring, transformations in production structure and labor organization, and rise of informal economy widen the gap between different geographies and generate a tied demand and supply relation between female labor and service sector. Today millions of women who suffer from poverty leave their countries in order to sell their labor in another country. Turkey has been a popular destination for women from post-Soviet countries since the 1980s. Many of them enter Turkey legally in accordance with Turkish visa requirements but become illegal by overstaying and working in country. Service sectors absorb this female labor, and many of them are employed as live-in domestic workers. This study aims to investigate how macro factors of international migration like global restructuring and transformations in the informal economy affects meso and micro structures. In this context, this study focuses on the formation of intermediary agencies and particularly individual migratory experiences of post-Soviet women in Ankara.

Squatter settlements still represent the worst of urban poverty and inequality in Turkey. Yet the world has the resources, know-how and power to reach the best experiences. Urban transformation has become a topic of growing interest in many cities in the world. It has also become popular in Turkish cities and the most common urban transformation projects in Turkey are implemented in squatter settlements. However, while the scope of urban transformation interventions generally aims to improve the quality of urban life, increase the livability of cities in various aspects and provide cities with the ability to trace other cities in both national scale and the globalized world, it is still a question mark whether urban transformation projects are successful enough in improving every aspects of urban life and fulfill the promise of development for their inhabitants particularly by improving the lives of the poor and promoting equity. In this respect, this research tries to identify the success level of urban transformation projects implemented in squatter settlements. Since many urban transformation projects implemented extensively in squatter settlements in Turkey, generally with the aim of increasing the density of buildings and gaining rent over these areas, the concept of urban transformation has an indisputable importance to be researched. The key purpose of this thesis is to reveal the components of quality of urban and community life in terms of physical, environmental, social, and economic dimensions and provide both objective (quantitative) and subjective (qualitative) approaches over these components to assess the success level of Sentepe Urban Transformation Project and increase the success level of urban transformation projects in squatter settlements. This research will reveal up the degree to which Sentepe Urban Transformation Project will respond to the requirements of the criteria of urban quality of life. Further, this research aims to provide inputs for the next urban transformation interventions to guarantee the satisfaction of urban life and well-beings of local community in terms of various issues related to urban life. The key proposition of this research is &amp / #8216 / The success level of an urban transformation project depends on how far it provides an urban quality of life whose main indicators are both physical, environmental, economic, and social and objective and subjective aspects.&amp / #8217 / This thesis utilizes the experiences of one of well known project in the world which provides quality of urban and community life due to the multi-dimensional characteristics of urban transformation. Then, as stated above, the research focuses on &amp / #8216 / Sentepe Urban Transformation Project&amp / #8217 / in Ankara as a field survey and evaluate the success level of this project due to the success determinants proposed by this thesis. Finally, this thesis intends to increase the success level of urban transformation projects in squatter settlements and puts forward the success level of &amp / #8216 / Sentepe Urban Transformation Project&amp / #8217 / in terms of providing well-being of inhabitants in accordance with quality of urban life indicators and four dimensions of urban regeneration / physical, environmental, economic, and social.

Co-operatives and housing co-operatives as main consideration of the dissertation are historically and philosophically developed institutions. Co-operative culture, although emerged in Britain during early phases of the industrial revolution, has been adapted by other countries within socialist, social democratic and even communist systems. In the contemporary era, housing co-operatives are still in existence and contribute housing production all over the world in every economic and political system. Institutional development of housing co-operatives in Turkey can be regarded as a process of adapting a Western institution and it shows how contextual differences result in changes in terms of ideology and implementation. In this respect, the thesis aims to evaluate Turkish housing co-operatives by putting forward their contextual differences. Housing co-operatives are non-governmental organizations and produce considerable amount of housing in Turkey. The dissertation regards housing co-operatives as a kind of collective action and discusses underlying factors of success of them with respect to collective action theories. Free riding, group size, critical mass, heterogeneity, network density and selective incentives are the factors obtained from the Theory of Free Rider and the Theory of Critical Mass and discussed regarding the Turkish co-operative development case to be tested via &ldquo / The Housing Co-operatives Interview Survey&rdquo / in istanbul and Ankara. The thesis&rsquo / findings provide that despite there might be expected effects of factors on success of housing co-operatives, these factors might be different due to the fact that they depends on desires of the critical mass / whether to act in favor of collective or individual benefits.

The need and challenge of sustaining industrial beings is a recent phenomenon. Hence the approaches in this regard are not yet profoundly defined to manage the protection and restoration of those beings. In this respect, this thesis searches for an integrated approach for sustaining industrial structures, sites, and landscapes which are typically significant for their heritage value in the urban context. To develop a thematically consolidated integrated framework, the study investigated &lsquo / conceptual&rsquo / , &lsquo / typological&rsquo / , &lsquo / analytical&rsquo / , and &lsquo / operational&rsquo / basis of the subject matter. This is maintained by scrutinizing the practicalities of the (western) countries that have already formulated advanced policies. The conceptual basis of the issue is revealed by examining the changing urban dynamics / the debate over &lsquo / continuity&rsquo / versus &lsquo / change&rsquo / main value typologies of the heritage resources and the process of obsolescence in the life-span of industrial beings. Taxonomy for the structures and spaces that constitute the object matter of the thesis formed the basis of an integral typology. This is supported by the specification of the characteristics of industrial beings and the opportunities they offer in the urban context. Correspondingly, strategic approaches and modes of intervention relevant for the different types of industrial beings are examined. The study exposed the analytical framework by assessing industrial beings according to diversity of functions, basic change of use, spatial scale of the projects, types of intervention and the design approaches. The scope of the issue in Turkey is revealed by identifying the present policy framework in accordance with the legislative and instrumental measures. This is complemented by an inventory for the significant industrial heritage sites. The findings demonstrated the particularity of the problematic in Turkey / the distinctive factors behind the emergence of obsolescence / the extremely divergent attitudes to and interests in obsolete industrial beings, as well as the complexity of the industrial sites. As a final task, the application(s) for the industrial sites along The Golden Horn were investigated. The Golden Horn case has also confirmed that such an integrated approach is required to protect and enhance industrial beings. In this manner the basic components of an integrated program considering the sites in the urban context and as problem areas of urban design are specified.

The global weakening of nation states has isolated cities. On the other hand, the authority of local administrations has been increasing rapidly. Urban planning responsibility is under the authority of local governments. Due to intense competition for attractive solutions, local authorities have tended to use methods that produce immediate results. Therefore, planning approach has been changing and in place of comprehensive plans, we find quick fix projects. According to comprehensive planning approach and the planning legislation in Turkey, urban plans should be made according to the principle of planning hierarchy. This principle defines the consistency of plans in different scales and refers to the holistic principle of urban planning. However, local governments have adopted project-based policy implemented in the form of urban transformation. This policy leads to practical applications that contradict the principles of the discipline of urban planning. Then, it forms a basis for negative results such as unplanned development. This study focuses on projects in Ankara and their consistency with upper scale plans in order to make a rational assessment of urban transformation projects. This thesis aims to show how local authorities and new legislative frameworks encourage urban transformation while ignoring the principle of planning hierarchy in case of Ankara. Local governments prefer project-based policy since development serves the benefit of investors and therefore municipalities. To avoid this situation, legislation should be examined and laws that lead to conflicting investments of authority should be simplified. Additionally, through law, planning agenda should be focused on the structural planning approach.

This thesis concentrates on the effects of poverty and socio-spatial exclusion on the local communities and the solidarity ties among the poor. The field research conducted in Bostancik Neighbourhood revolved around two basic questions / socio-spatial segregation of the poor communities from the wider society and the impact of this on the internal structure of these communities with special reference to the solidarity ties and networks. The findings of the research show that the urban poor have been excluded from the mainstream economy and such an exclusion is companied by their further exclusion from social and political processes and public spaces of the city which resulted with their confinement in such physical settings looking like ghetto. Likewise, the research findings point to the fact that in Bostancik Neighbourhood, the community relations revolving around supportive networks, so-called common norms and interests have been severely damaged by the increasing poverty and exclusion. What replaces such relations is a new life style characterised by fragmentation and atomisation of not only community but also other forms of solidarity. In turn, it is observed that there is a high level tension and hostility within the community. The overall findings show that as a result of the economic, social, political and spatial exclusion and social isolation, the communal characteristics of the neighbourhood have been largely dissolved in favour of an atomistic life style threatining the conditions of living together.

This study tries to identify agencies&rsquo / strategies in the &lsquo / urban restructuring&rsquo / of Antalya into a &lsquo / city of culture&rsquo / by examining the underlying relation between urban cultural policies and global capitalism. Pursuing the relational thinking of the Marxist urban political economy paradigm, the theoretical frames for the concepts of &lsquo / restructuring&rsquo / and &lsquo / city of culture&rsquo / were investigated using multi-dimensional approaches of existing scholarly literature. Since the concept &lsquo / city of culture&rsquo / involves growth oriented development strategies of cities competing with other cities for capital, the concept is examined in these sub-fields: (field of art and culture / subfield(s) of urban -planning, -governance, -politics, -design / field of economy / field of tourism). Thus, to outline a theory of practice for the &lsquo / growth machine&rsquo / agents, the transformation of the &lsquo / forms of capital&rsquo / that both the agents and Antalya &lsquo / city&rsquo / possess is examined in four sub-fields in the general field of power in Antalya. Various qualitative research methods were used to understand what underlies the restructuring process. Most of the qualitative data resulted from direct interviews / 28 individuals from six groups (the representatives of -cultural, educational and academic institutions / -capitalist investors / -local government / -NGOs / -central government / Antalyalite Intelligentsia) and a group interview (with 6 academics at Akdeniz University) during the field research conducted between 2006 and 2008. This thesis identifies the Antalya Greater Municipality (AGM) as the leading agency in the pro-growth coalition in Antalya with support from ATSO (Antalya Chamber of Trade and Commerce) among various other local and global agents (T&Uuml / RSAK, iGM-istanbul Greater Municipality, WTO, EU) with their wealth of economic, cultural, commercial, social, and symbolic capitals influencing urban restructuring in Antalya. Opposing them is a group critical of cultural, economic and urban policies compatible with the policies trying to ease the transformation of Antalya into a festival marketplace or fantasy city. Eventually, it is argued that the urban elites&rsquo / strategies to transform Antalya into a &lsquo / city of culture&rsquo / have produced a &lsquo / growth machine&rsquo / using the world city ideology to convince people of the benefits of this transformation. The essential finding of this study is that the &lsquo / state&rsquo / is the most active player in the restructuring process through its interventions in various fields.

Tourism has been supported as a development strategy by central governments for the settlements mainly located in the western and southern coasts of Turkey since 1970s. The replacement of agricultural production with tourism was not only resulted in the transformation of social and economic relations but also spatial developments in these places. This thesis is an attempt to investigate socio-economic and socio-spatial consequences of tourism policies and the positions of local people in this process in the case of izmir-Ala&ccedil / ati. Qualitative data gathering methods (in-depth interviews, participant observations etc.) are used in this study in order to obtain necessary information about the research area. The findings of the study indicated that local people, new comers and migrant workers whose positions are determined according to their ownership of different forms of capital in social space which determine their success or failure in the tourism field have been influenced in different ways from this process. For instance, most of local people are the losers of this process as a result of lack necessary forms of capital in tourism field and mismatch between their historically constituted systems of dispositions (habitus) and tourism field. In the conclusion part, it is emphasized that there is the need for a comprehensive approach to tourism issue and the impacts of different policy implementations to the coastal areas should be taken into consideration by decision-makers in order to achieve more egalitarian development strategies for local communities.

The main hypothesis of this thesis is that the problem of urban sprawl, as a disorder in the growth of the cities, is not a natural result of the growth of the capitalist city but a phenomenon manipulated politically. Consequently, generally a geographically problematized phenomenon / the urban sprawl is, within this work, problematized with reference to urban politics. In the searching of the politics of urban sprawl, one of the political interventions into the urban space / the master plans has utmost importance in this work. The impact of the master plans on the sprawl of the city will be analyzed. A categorization of urban sprawl is proposed in the work, on the urban geography with reference to politics of urban sprawl. After illustrating the types of urban sprawl, the politics of urban sprawl is modeled. The political interventions of State, Metropolitan Municipality, District Municipalities, Housing Development Administration, Real Estate Agents and Rural Landowners located on the periphery is included in the model and their impact on the urban geography is evaluated. Ankara will be examined as a case in the politics of urban sprawl / her unique characteristics like being the &#039 / planned&#039 / capital city controlled by master plans make her indispensable to study. The political interventions of the actors to the urban space of Ankara is highly visible especially considering urban sprawl in the geography of the city, yet another reason to work on.