Population growth in Arnavutköy district: Socio-cultural and spatial analysis

Arnavutköy district is one of the 39 districts of İstanbul province, located in the Çatalca-Kocaeli section of the Marmara Region. Arnavutköy district consists of a total of 38 neighborhoods. In this study, the population change of Arnavutköy district, the physical and human factors affecting the distribution of the population, the quality and quantity of the population, economic activities, rural and city population, socio-cultural development and spatial distribution have been examined and commented using tables, graphs and maps. While the district was attached to the Çatalca Sub-District during the Ottoman period, it was received to the status of village and then town, respectively. Arnavutköy, which received district status in 2008, has a population of 296.709 according to TurkStat 2020 data. While Arnavutköy, one of the promising districts of Istanbul, had a homogeneous population formed by immigrants from Bulgaria and Greece until the 1950s, today it has a heterogeneous structure due to the migrations from different parts of Anatolia and Istanbul. This situation has affected many social, economic and cultural areas of Arnavutköy. The ratio of the young dependent population in the total population of the district, whose population is constantly increasing and which hosts the new investments of Istanbul, is gradually increasing. The advantages of having a young population should be well used, young people should be supported and demographic investments should be made for young people. In this study, the changes due to qualitative and quantitative change of the population have been examined, solutions have been sought to the problems experienced, and population projections prepared and population forecasting for the future have been made and the changes that will occur in the future have been discussed. Keywords: Arnavutköy, Population, Socio-cultural Analysis, Spatial Analysis, City Population, Rural Population, Population Projection