Tourism-oriented spatial transformation in coastal areas: Antalya Kemerağzi-Kundu sample

This study examines how coastal public spaces and lands have been made available by spatial transformation in favor of capital in global neoliberal economic conditions, and by which means and how the transformation of these lands is handled. The primary purpose of the study is to assess the transformation of the space at Kemerağzı-Kundu Region in Antalya in the context of planning, encouragement of tourism and integrated coastal zone management (ICZM). Secondary purpose of the study is to describe the process where urban and public land were made available for the capital by the state to promote tourism development, together with the tools that facilitated this transformation; to explain the function of planning of integrated coastal zones in the context of political economy; to demonstrate the problems created by this process and to suggest solutions. The study consists of two chapters. The first chapter deals with the transformation of space, urban land, protected area, rent, commodity/commoditization, public benefit, transfer of property, allocation, favoritism and speculation, planning, encouragement of tourism, coastal and integrated coastal zone management within conceptual and theoretical framework. It also evaluates the spatial transformation within the context of urban land and rent, as well as the role and function of state and capital in this transformation, the common tools they used, the related problems and regulations. In the second chapter of the study, natural characteristics of Kemerağzı-Kundu Region, as well as relevant zoning plans, losses in land and vegetation, changes in coastal and protected natural sites, are examined in parallel to the urban planning, allocations, major projects and integrated coastal zone management dealt with in the first chapter. In the scope of the research; data were collected with face-to-face interviews, statistical data, plans, land views, allocations, court decisions, aerial photographs. It is observed that the lands examined in the study have lost their ecological and agricultural qualities and been made available for settlement and tourism purposes. It has been found that this transformation process has long been supported and accelerated by the central government's tourism incentive practices and integrated coastal management, agricultural lands have decreased in size, coastal areas have lost their public nature as a result of spatial transformation, and they have been made available for profit purposes in favor of capital. Besides, it has been observed that the coastal areas, agricultural lands and forest lands in the region have been adversely affected by rent demands and that the region's natural wealth has been lost due to zoning changes made by local governments. Keywords: Spatial Transformation, Rent, Planning, Encouragement of Tourism, Integrated Coastal Zone Management