Speaker
Description
This study investigates the interplay between emotional connections and urban spatial transformations in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, focusing on the music ecosystem as a critical lens. While traditional spatial research often marginalizes emotional dynamics, this research emphasizes how emotions serve as integral components in understanding urban atmospheres and spatial practices. Drawing from the emerging field of emotional geography (Anderson and Smith, 2001; Bondi, Davidson and Smith, 2007; Davidson and Smith, 2009; Parr, 2014), the study underscores the necessity of examining spaces not only through rational frameworks but also through the lived, emotive experiences they invoke.
The research spans the period from 1990 to 2025, a transformative era for Beyoğlu marked by its pedestrianization in 1990 and subsequent neoliberal urban policies. These policies have both revitalized the district and catalyzed challenges such as gentrification, loss of cultural continuity, and shifts in social cohesion (Eder and Öz, 2015; İnce, 2011; Türkün, 2021; Güney, 2015). Like many others, Beyoğlu, once a vibrant hub for Istanbul’s music culture, has experienced the tension between its rich emotional and cultural heritage and the pressures of commodification. Small-scale music venues, artisan workshops, and informal cultural practices have been replaced or marginalized by larger, more commercial projects, disrupting the intricate emotional ecosystem that defined the area.
Focusing on Beyoğlu’s music ecosystem provides a unique perspective on urban emotional dynamics. This ecosystem—comprising small venues, music studios, instrument craftsmen, performers, and audiences—functions as a relational network that shapes the district’s atmosphere. By engaging with theories of affective atmospheres and emotional geographies, this research demonstrates how music ecosystems not only reflect but actively co-create urban emotional landscapes.
The methodological approach combines visual and sensory methodologies with in-depth qualitative interviews to explore the emotional and sensory dimensions of Beyoğlu.The study investigates how emotional ties to spaces are forged through music-related practices and how these connections are impacted by urban transformation. It also explores the performative nature of emotional atmospheres, illustrating how collective experiences in music spaces contribute to the making and unmaking of urban identities.
Findings reveal that music ecosystems play a dual role: they act as anchors of cultural memory and emotional continuity, while simultaneously serving as sites of resistance against homogenizing urban policies. By drawing attention to the relational and emotional underpinnings of spatial practices, this research offers new insights into the possibilities of fostering culturally and emotionally sustainable urban futures.
Ultimately, this study bridges the gap between emotional geographies and urban planning, proposing a framework for understanding urban transformation that is grounded in emotional and sensory experiences. Beyoğlu serves as a case study for illustrating how emotional connections to space can inspire more inclusive, adaptive, and resilient approaches to urban development.
This research is conducted as part of the author's ongoing doctoral thesis supervised by Prof. Dr. Murat Cemal Yalçıntan at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University.
References
Anderson, K. and Smith, S.J. (2001) ‘Editorial: Emotional Geographies’, Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 26(1), p. 7-10.
Bondi, L., Davidson, J., Smith, M. (2007) ‘Introduction: Geography's Emotional Turn’, In J. Davidson, L. Bondi, M. Smith (ed.) Emotional Geographies. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Company, 1-16
Davidson, J., Smith, M. (2009) ‘Emotional Geographies’, In R. Kitchin, N. Thrift (ed) International Encyclopedia of Human Geography, Oxford: Elsevier Science, 440-445
Eder, M., & Öz, Ö. (2015) ‘Neoliberalization of Istanbul's Nightlife: Beer or Champagne?’, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 39(2), p. 284-304.
Güney, E. E. (2015) ‘Big Fish Eats The Small Fish; Urban Renewal In Istiklal Street And The Closure Of The Small Shops’, Architectural Design Conference 2015, İstanbul, Turkey. 151-167
İnce, A. (2011) ‘Bir Eğlence ve Tüketim Hattı: Asmalımescit, Tünel, Galata’, In V. Aytar, K. Parmaksızoğlu (ed.) İstanbul’da Eğlence. İstanbul: İstanbul Bilgi Üniversitesi Yayınları, 169-174
Parr, H. (2014) ‘Emotional Geographies’, In P. Cloke, P. Crang, M. Goodwin (ed) Introducing Human Geographies Third Edition, New York, NY: Routledge, 746-759
Türkün, A. (2021) ‘Tarihi Kent Merkezlerinin Yeniden Yapılanmasında Belirleyici Faktörler ve Olası Senaryolar: İstanbul Beyoğlu Örneği’. TÜBİTAK, Project No: 117K317
| Keywords | emotional geography, music ecosystems, affective atmospheres, sensory methodologies, video methods |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
