Antalya as a brand city: The effects of new urbanization practices on the city and its citizens

As the world is rapidly becoming an urban society, cities are becoming the subject of fierce competition in the global economy. Today, many cities are undergoing major transformations to become a brand that can attract global flows of capital, money and tourists. In this sense, -in order to get a piece of the pie- city's major political actors are rebuilding cities with mega projects, luxury venues and entertainment centers, striving to appear in international organizations and aspiring to stand out in global competition by turning their cities into brands. On the other hand, new urbanization practices bring problems such as gentrification, stigmatization, urban poverty, and waste of resources and open the door to sustainability crises. The aim of this study is to discuss the effects of new urbanization practices aiming at branding on cities and city dwellers. The research, conducted in Antalya, is based on a comparison of the data obtained from in-depth interviews with the leading actors of the city and the residents of Balbey district which is subjected to unprecedented transformations towards branding. In the first part of the field research, discussions are held on the details and consequences of the steps taken towards branding. The second phase, which focuses on the Balbey District, focuses on the developments in a slum quarter within the geography of the brand. The dynamics underlying the transformation of the neighborhood, which is an example of the encounter of the global urbanization model with the urban residents in Antalya, from a slum area to its revaluation, the characteristics of the transformation process (fait accompli, ambiguous, insecure) and the conflicting relations established with other actors of the city are discussed.