Speaker
Description
National development strategies in Türkiye and the future vision of the city of Istanbul strive to bring technological development to the planning agenda. Even though literature support that 'technological development is the determinant of economic growth' (Romer, 1990), vulnerability of households to this development is much larger, and they are rapidly forced to dematerialize and demobilize with smart technologies (Mitchell, 1999), especially ever after the pandemic (Dimopoulos, 2021). Besides, the most important obstacles, in the transition to the information society, is retrofitting the historical city centres with smart technologies and improving welfare of households, together (Belli and Koramaz, 2020).
This research examines technology use and access based on household survey data from 2019 in Istanbul’s Historic Peninsula, the city’s historical centre (Koramaz, et. al, 2019). By comparing socio-economic status and basic demographics with technology-related findings, the paper explores the ability of the household profile to be informed about the management of the historical city centre. This analysis also contributes to discussions on revitalizing city centres over promoting residents’ transition into the information society. Additionally, the paper addresses digital divide-related policies, which refer to the growing gap between groups that can access information and communication technologies and those who cannot. The survey findings also shed light on the extent to which households, varying in socio-economic status and demographic profiles, experienced compulsory digitalization in the four years preceding the pandemic.
The initial finding addresses that access to technology decrease significantly in households with low income. In addition, technology use also decrease in the households consisting only of individuals over the age of 65, as one of the most vulnerable groups in the transition to the information society. The nature of residential segregation in terms of technological development will also reveal the variances in the ability of being informed from communication channels and local online sources related to municipal services in the case.
The paper concludes by discussing smart technologies currently available as heritage site management services in Istanbul’s Historic Peninsula, along with strategies to address associated vulnerabilities, depicted with digital divide. With its traditional building stock and organic urban pattern, the Istanbul Historic Peninsula faces challenges in retrofitting smart technologies. Notably, enthusiasm for information and communication technologies related to smart mobility and digital interfaces in cultural infrastructure should align with the demand for smart and renewable energy sources, as well as the rights of smart citizenship and active participation in urban governance.
References
Belli, B., and Koramaz, T. K. (2020). Transformation of Urban Space by Smart Technologies: Evidence and Traces from Istanbul Historical Peninsula. In (H. Abusaada, A.M. Salama, A. Elshater, eds) Reconstructing Urban Ambiance in Smart Public Places IGI Global, 82-113.
Dimopoulos, K., Koutsampelas, C., & Tsatsaroni, A. (2021). Home schooling through online teaching in the era of COVID-19: Exploring the role of home-related factors that deepen educational inequalities across European societies. European Educational Research Journal, 20(4), 479-497.
Koramaz, T. K., Nasrollahzadeh, S. and Ozdemir, Z. (2019). Spatial Segregation of Housing Preferences and Technology Use of Households: Comparison of Istanbul and Kastomonu (Project Code: MGA-2018-41493), Istanbul Technical University, Scientific Research Office.
Mitchell, W. J. (1999). E-topia: Urban life, Jim – but not as we know it. MIT press.
Romer, P. M. (1990). Endogenous technological change. Journal of Political Economy, 98(5), 71-102.
| Keywords | technology; smart city; information society |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | No |
