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The Regime of Informality in Neoliberal Times in T urkey: The Case of the K adifekale Urban Transformation Project
Author(s) -
DemirtasMilz Neslihan
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
international journal of urban and regional research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.456
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1468-2427
pISSN - 0309-1317
DOI - 10.1111/1468-2427.12005
Subject(s) - disadvantaged , locality , neighbourhood (mathematics) , politics , context (archaeology) , sociology , socioeconomic status , immigration , state (computer science) , political science , economic growth , geography , economics , mathematical analysis , population , linguistics , philosophy , demography , mathematics , archaeology , algorithm , computer science , law
Juxtaposing the empirical findings of a qualitative research study of an urban transformation project in the K adifekale squatter district of I zmir with the changed nature of urban politics in a neoliberal context, this article aims to trace the manifestations of the regime of informality in T urkey. Ethnographic consideration of the motives behind these projects, the way they have been carried out and their consequences for the lives of the inhabitants points to an extended space for informal politics tactically manoeuvred by state officials of various ranks. Particularly during the last two decades, neoliberal urban policies have triggered an intensification of power discrepancies in both the vertical and horizontal dimensions and a fragmentation of community structure in the localities — mainly along socioeconomic divides. This research reveals a transition from positive/passive to negative/active uses of informality in the disposition of the state towards the urban poor when the fast and efficient conduct of urban transformation projects is in question. The characteristics of the locality as a landslide zone, the already fragmented socioeconomic structure in the neighbourhood and the dense presence of K urdish immigrants facilitate the putting into practice of informal strategies. The immigrants who cannot define a place for themselves in the simultaneously formal and informal context of the project have been seriously disadvantaged.