Cultural policies of local governments in changing and transforming cities: The case of Denizli Metropolitan Municipality

This study examines whether local administrations in Turkey contribute to the production of public space through their cultural policies. In particular, it evaluates the shift of municipalities toward cultural activities after the 1980s and the emergence of new governance practices shaped by the Metropolitan Municipality Law and similar reforms that supported this orientation. The rapidly changing socio-cultural structure and ongoing urbanization processes have revealed new needs and deficiencies. Within this context, the focus of the study is on the cultural policies implemented during the periods of Denizli Municipality and its transformation into a Metropolitan Municipality, and the potential of these policies to generate public space in the city. Public space in Turkey has historically developed on incomplete foundations. Can municipalities' cultural activities contribute to the formation of public space? What are the possibilities and limitations in this regard? Which sources can influence this formation, and in what ways? These questions constitute the central problem of the research. To address this, qualitative research methods were employed, specifically document and content analysis techniques. The main data sources included annual activity reports, cultural publications, local press archives of Denizli Municipality and Denizli Metropolitan Municipality, and academic studies related to Denizli and the topic. The analysis indicates that through cultural activities, municipalities have contributed to the emergence of relatively inclusive and visible elements of public space in the city. However, the institutionalization and maturation of public space in this manner is inherently a time-dependent process. In this regard, institutional continuity becomes crucial. It was also observed that, following its transition to a metropolitan municipality, Denizli's cultural activities became more diversified and systematic. Moreover, it was determined that while some of the organized cultural events fall within the scope of local culture, others align with the domain of national culture. Keywords: Local governments, cultural policies, cultural municipalism, municipal public space, Denizli Metropolitan Municipality