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With the effects of the globalising world and rapidly changing dynamics, the place of culture in urban development policies and its share in local development is becoming increasingly important (Kagan et al.,2018). It is essential to understand the cultural economy, one of the areas where urban development is reconceptualised in the new economic geography (Gibson & Kong, 2005), to produce added value from culture and to integrate culture into the economic development of the city at the same time. Culture can turn into a production input that enables urban economic development at urban, regional and national levels (KEA, 2006). Tangible and intangible heritage assets included in urban development policies move away from the perception of mere protection and emerge as potentials that generate economic added value (Perry et al., 2018). Turkey's cities, which differ at urban and regional levels with their cultural assets and related economic structures, can use these dynamics as a means of competition in urban development. This study evaluates the urban cultures of Diyarbakır, which has been an important city in terms of ethnic, social, political, administrative and economic aspects due to its strategic location throughout history, from the perspective of cultural economy. The city is culturally rich with its tangible heritage assets that are important for urban identity, as well as intangible heritage elements such as cinema, literature, traditional crafts, festivals, music and gastronomy. The main objective is to create a road map and raise awareness for public institutions, non-governmental organisations, academia, the private sector, professional chambers, investors and local communities with culture-based urban development scenarios for culture to provide an economic contribution to the city and for the city to benefit directly from its heritage potential. The cultural assets of the city have been evaluated through intangible heritage. The impact of culture on urban development has been analysed in detail through plans, policy, action and strategy documents prepared at regional and urban levels, the contribution of culture to the city, its relationship with other sectors as an economic input, the approaches of the institutions producing urban development policies, the implementation process of the decisions taken and strategies developed, and existing collaborations. In addition, Turkey's data on the cultural economy, policy documents, allocated budget, and funding sources were analysed to understand the country's overall approach. Subsequently, group interviews were conducted with culture-related public institutions, local administrations, development agencies, universities, civil society organisations, professional chambers, chambers of commerce and industry in Diyarbakır, and awareness of the economic impact of heritage was investigated. Among the identified groups, 23 actor interviews were conducted. The main problems are the lack of culture-oriented economic strategies and lack of awareness on the subject, the lack of a culture of cooperation and the inability to provide collaboration, the lack of qualified labour force and efficient solutions, the failure to create financing mechanisms and related economic and legal obstacles, and the fact that the city vision is far from up to date. The main opportunities are the existence of a unique city with a cultural ecosystem, the attempt to maintain traditional practices and the planning of current local cultural projects.
Studies, projects, and activities on the cultural economy in Turkey are quite few. Today in Diyarbakır, the production of crafts and related activities, festivals, culture and arts activities organised by local administrations, NGOs, foundations, and private enterprises, the efforts to continue these activities, and the series of activities planned by various institutions are concrete reflections of the existence of the city's strong cultural ecosystem. However, culture is not yet seen as a sector in urban economic development.
References
Gibson, C. & Kong, L. (2005) ‘Cultural economy: a critical review’, Progress in Human Geography, 29(5), pp. 541–561. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1191/0309132505ph567oa
Kagan, S., Hauerwaas, A., Holz, V. & Wedler, P. (2018) ‘Culture in sustainable urban development: Practices and policies for spaces of possibility and institutional innovations’, City, Culture and Society, 13, pp. 32–45.
KEA (Kern European Affairs) (2006) The economy of culture in Europe. Brussels: European Commission/KEA.
Perry, B., Ager, L. & Sitas, R. (2020) ‘Cultural heritage entanglements: Festivals as integrative sites for sustainable urban development’, International Journal of Heritage Studies, 26(6), pp. 603–618.
| Keywords | Urban cultures; culture economy; urban development; Diyarbakır |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
