Deindustrialization and spatial change as a implication of economic policies: İstanbul example

The industrialization wave followed by the Ottoman Empire since the Tanzimat Reform Era continued with an increased tempo following the proclamation of the Republic. A lot of plants were established in Istanbul in this scope. However, most of them were closed due to today's economic policies. As a result, Istanbul has faced deindustrialization, which began after 1980 and became sheerer in the 2000s. This study discusses as a problem the abovementioned deindustrialization in relation to its spatial implications on the geographical outlook of Istanbul brought by the spatial impacts in overall Istanbul and changing functional uses resulting from the deindustrialization. The study was carried out with in a four-stage process. At stage one, a literature review was conducted on Istanbul in order to list the industrial plants established by districts in Istanbul. In the second stage, the list compiled through diverse sources was updated. In the following stage, a field study was carried out to find out the current status of the plants scanned during the two preceding stages. Then their current state and recent functional uses were identified and they were coordinated accordingly. After classified by characteristics, the plants were mapped with the help of ArcGIS 10 and CorelDraw X5 as the last stage of the study. As a result of the study, it was found out that, among others, the industrial facilities which particularly cover large areas in Istanbul are closing down rapidly and subsequent functional use goes towards a transition to real estate investments. Of the 291 plants identified in this study, the areas which are now subject to real estate investments account for 35% and idle plants constitute around 30% of such places. Nowadays Istanbul has become a settlement area where services as a function are shaped predominantly by real estate investments, stand in a dominant position. As a conclusion, it can be said that in this process accompanied by deindustrialization, places with an altered functional use have emerged in many districts of the city.