Fikirtepe and Çukurambar cases as different manifestations of neoliberal urbanization

One critical reflection of neoliberal urbanization on cities is urban transformation. Urban renewal, a concept that emerged after the industrial revolution in early industrialized countries, has been one of the issues affected by neoliberal policies in the post-1980 period. The neoliberal period transformed urban transformation's purpose, method, actors and the physical and social structure that emerged after the transformation. The fundamental problem on which this research is based is the question of what other concepts and institutions, in addition to the localization-centralization debate in the literature, shape the oscillation between the common narrative in the literature and different examples where the local is authorized or the centre gathers the authority. Urbanization is a process that varies according to the historical, political-economic background and social context. Studying different cities comparatively will provide critical theoretical expansions, especially in a context like Turkey, where the institutional processes and legislation related to urban transformation are ambiguous and flexible. For this purpose, the urban transformation adventures of two neighbourhoods from Ankara and Istanbul, which are undeniably important for Turkey's urbanization, and the interaction between the actors in this process are examined in the context of the centralization-localization debates that flared up in the context of neoliberal urbanization. Çukurambar was included in the study because it entered the transformation process by revising the zoning plan when the local authority and resources were relatively increased. Fikirtepe was included in the study because it is a significant example in terms of the timing of the transfer of authority to the Ministry after it started through planning and the actors involved in the process. The study applied the in-depth interview method, one of the qualitative data collection techniques and the data obtained was subjected to content analysis. As a result of the content analysis and document analysis, the winners of the transformation, whether carried out by the local government or the central government, did not change. In the context of urban transformation policy, a transition from a market-oriented localization to a market-oriented centralization that nourishes the informal structures that emerged in the field has been made.