The Growth of Istanbul
The coastal city of Istanbul is located in the North Western tip of Turkey. It borders Bulgaria and Greece which closely separates it from the European Union. The city is on the divide between the Black and Mediteraenan sea marking the Bosphorus strait. Istanbul is home to 20% of Turkey’s population and generates half of Turkey’s wealth. It connects Europe to Asia which makes both land trade and sea trade available to the country.
Growth in numbers
Since 1950, the population of Istanbul has grown 140% from 963,000–14,377,000. The largest percentage growth in a 5 year period was between 1980–1985 where the city grew by 77%. The city has grown by over 8% every 5 years.
The effect of Growth
The life of Istanbul has changed dramatically resulting in a large percentage of the population moving from areas of rich history within the city, outwards which is evidence of counter-urbanisation. Furthermore, businesses are moving away from the inner city, to rural areas due to overcrowding. Other areas in the city are experiencing gentrification, evidenced by the construction of commercial centres. An example of this is Beyoglu, which has seen a rise in the amount of wealthier people due to this.
Combating issues faced by the city
Istanbul faces many issues due to the rapid population growth within the city which can be attributed to internal migration and natural increase (the difference between births and death). The city faces a growing problem as currently and a ⅓ of the population owns cars, however the population is predicted to double by 2025 which will inevitably increase carbon emissions in the city.
To combat this issue, schools and companies in Istanbul, have introduced a bus services for students and workers. This initially has been effective as it has reduced the need for a car and eliminates the need to use public transport. Due to the need of cars diminishing, there will be less congestion within the city promoting fast delivery and faster commutes to work.
However this may not be as effective as initially anticipated as people work in different locations within Istanbul. The bus services will only be a positive application to a limited amount of people who this applies too. This is exacerbated by the inconvenience of where people live. Many people will not live along bus routes and therefore will be unable to take the service due to the sparsity of locations in which the workers of Istanbul live.
A housing crisis in the city has cause issues due to intense urbanization. Since 1960 there has been a 350% increase in the percentage of the population that live in the city. This has lead to squatter settlements such as Gecekondu. To combat this issue the government has knocked down these squatter settlements and built high-rise apartments. These schemes have been effective in promoting healthier living in legal areas. However, many people in these areas have been displaced as they have not be able to afford the constantly rising housing prices.
