Gentrification in cihangir by the film industry: The role of art and artists

This dissertation takes a look at the process of gentrification carried out by the film industry in the neighborhood of Cihangir in Istanbul, Turkey. Furthermore, it focuses on the role that the film art and artists played there as key gentrifiers. Branded as one of the most cosmopolitan quarters on the European side of Istanbul, Cihangir remains equal to itself in spite of gentrification and urban renewal projects began in the 1980s. Although Cihangir was and is being gentrified, the arrival of the gentrifiers thereat did not visibly impact on its social structure at all. Based on this argument, this study tries to understand motivations and reasons that led the film industry to sit in Cihangir. It is also explained that gentrification did not occur in Cihangir as a result of a deteriorated area, but rather because of its proximity to Yeşilçam sokağı on Beyoğlu district; Yeşilçam sokağı which served as headquarter in the 1970s for the Turkish popular cinema. The essay will consist of two major parts. The first part starts with an overview of some of key terms and provides existing definitions and theories of gentrification. The second part will shed light on the process of gentrification itself as it evolved in Cihangir and reveal factors and effects sparked by the artistic involvment. The essay will conclude with a summary of investigations and interviews conducted on the ground.