Towards a sustainable and tourism-led urban regeneration objective: Eminonu historical city core

Abstract

As one of the oldest settlement areas of Istanbul located within the Historical Peninsula, Eminonu District encompasses a highly distinctive and privileged structure with its historical assets, the considerably different functions undertaken, and the cultural and social diversity it shelters as also accompanied by the rich cultural and natural entities reflected on physical space. However, despite all these assets which Eminonu possesses, the district could not escape from becoming a "deprived" area where serious levels of urban decay are experienced especially in social terms. In this paper, following the brief information and examination of the existing structure and organizational system, the incrementally-given planning decisions for specific parts of the area in question will be considered. In light of these decisions that will be analyzed and the evaluations made accordingly, the "tourism-led" regeneration objective in a socially "deprived" area under "decay" will be scrutinized in the context of sustainability and related proposals will be revealed.