Speaker
Description
According to Mumford (1938), public interest serves as an umbrella concept that reconciles conflicting individual interests and facilitates decision-making for social benefit. While frequently invoked in urban planning, it is often instrumentalized to legitimize profit-driven practices. However, in Turkey, the discourse on public interest lacks a critical perspective, particularly regarding the interest groups it represents and its urban outcomes. This study examines the sale of the former Etiler Police School land in Beşiktaş, Istanbul, to private capital under the pretext of public interest, focusing on legitimizing mechanisms used in the transformation. Designed as an explanatory case study, it aims to reveal causal relationships in this process.
A qualitative research design was employed to analyze public interest within urban planning and Turkish legal frameworks. Using Yin’s (2018) embedded case study approach, data were collected from document analysis, policy reviews, and media reports. The pattern matching strategy assessed whether the land sale aligned with planning principles and legal requirements. Findings revealed that land-use changes prioritized profit over public interest, diminishing local government authority while increasing central government intervention.
In 2010, due to the inadequacy of the Etiler Police School buildings, reconstruction was funded by the European Investment Bank. Although completed in 2012, the land’s zoning was changed from educational to commercial and service use in the same year. While initially appearing as an effective use of funds, the subsequent commercial rezoning highlighted a rent-driven approach, suggesting public resources were misused. In 2013, the site was designated a "disaster-prone area" under Law No. 6306, despite stable soil conditions, raising concerns that this designation aimed to transfer planning authority from local to central government. These rapid decisions not only neglected public interest but also weakened local governance. In 2018, the school was demolished, and the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality sold the land, with the bid won by KİPTAŞ, a municipal company. The construction contract was awarded to a private firm. The new project replaced the five-story school buildings with three 36-story skyscrapers. This high-density development, within the Boğaziçi Law’s protected area, contradicted legal regulations and threatened the area’s historical and natural identity. Furthermore, the absence of urban technical impact assessments in the planning changes indicated a failure to evaluate potential infrastructure challenges. In 2022, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change prepared a new plan allowing high-density development and rezoned the area from commercial and service use to commercial and tourism. These consecutive zoning changes disrupted public service continuity and social infrastructure balance. The lack of scientific processes, such as urban impact assessments, further exacerbated the issue.
The privatization of public land, such as the sale of the Etiler Police School site to the private sector, raises critical concerns regarding the economic, social, and environmental balance of urban areas. Such processes not only lead to the loss of public assets but also promote a profit-driven approach that contradicts fundamental urban planning principles. The commodification of these lands facilitates speculative real estate activities, undermining the provision of essential public services and threatening urban identity and heritage.
Public lands play a crucial role in meeting cities' educational, healthcare, and social infrastructure needs. However, as case studies demonstrate, their transfer to the private sector can result in significant public losses. Privatization entails not only a physical transfer of ownership but also a shift in the state's responsibility to provide public services, potentially disrupting social equilibrium. Therefore, central and local governments must adopt a coordinated policy to ensure the utilization of public land for collective benefit. Beyond short-term economic gains, long-term social and environmental impacts must be prioritized, with public interest as a guiding principle.
References
• Campbell, Heather. & Marshall, Robert. (1998) ‘Acting on Principle: Dilemmas in Planning Practice’, Planning Practice & Research, 13(2), pp. 117-128.
• Howe, Elizabeth. & Kaufman, Jerome. (1979) ‘The Ethics of Contemporary American Planners’, Journal of the American Planning Association, 45(3), pp. 243-255.
• Howe, Elizabeth. & Kaufman, Jerome (1981) ‘The Values of Contemporary American Planners’, Journal of the American Planning Association, 47(3), pp. 266-278.
• Keleş, Ruşen. (1993) Kentleşme ve Kamu Yararı, Kent ve Siyaset Üzerine Yazılar (1975-1992). İstanbul: Kent Basımevi.
• Mumford, L. (1938) The Culture of Cities. Harcourt, Brace and Company, New York.
• Tekeli, İlhan. (1988) ‘Mülkiyet Kurumu, Kamu Yararı Kavramı ve İmar Planları Üzerine’, Planlama Dergisi, 88(2), pp. 6-13.
• Umar, B. (1971) Türk Kalkınma Hukuku. İzmir: Ege Üniversitesi Basımevi.
• Yin, R. K. (2018) Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods. 6th edn. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
| Keywords | public interest; public land; privatization; rent-driven planning |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | No |
