Impact of urban regeneration projects upon spatial development of cities in the post-2000 period: Case of Bursa

Metropolitan cities in Turkey have been re-organized to play a significant role for global capital in neoliberal process. Consequently, the spatial structure has also undergone a change and transformation. İn this context, legal and administrative arrangements, simplification of planning and zoning, and decentralization, deregulation and re-regulation of the state have all been used as steps taken to overcome the obstacles against acceleration of the accumulation rate. The transfer of zoning and planning authority to local administrations to a great extent and urban regeneration practices as spatial constants which have become the key tools in planning practices, facilitate the accumulation strategy aimed at the commodification of space. As an example of this strategy, the authority for approval of the buildings at risk was transferred to Bursa Metropolitan Municipality. The main purpose of this study is to reveal the effects of this shift in authority upon urban space in Bursa. The method to be followed in the study is to determine the parcels with risky buildings and to analyze the data on the approved plan amendments within the scope of periodic, spatial distribution and concentration trends and their impact upon urban space. The findings obtained, reveal that the process of liberalization and deregulation of planning and zoning processes through the empowerment of local authority to loosen the barriers to capital has led to loss of public benefit in urban regeneration practices, while focusing on economic expectations and decreasing urban living standards as it mostly takes place in areas not requiring emergent intervention.