Tag Archives: Urban Renewal

The New York Times: Let the Blames Begin – Andrew Finkel

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The promotional video the Turkish government showed the I.O.C. for Istanbul’s Olympic bid depicted cappuccino-drinking young executives, out jogging, flirting and having fun – exactly those Turks who had rallied to save Gezi Park and were pleased to see Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Olympics pitch turned down. The government seems unable to deal with dissent from this freer-thinking urban professional class other [...] → Read the full article…

Jadaliyya: It is about the Park: A struggle for Turkey’s cities

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It is with alarming regularity that I read coverage of the protests and ensuing police brutality that erupted in Gezi Park and Taksim Square, Istanbul that emphatically insists that the confrontations are about “so much more than a park.” Reassuring their readers that the protests are not about something as silly or simple as the defense of a small park [...] → Read the full article…

Bianet: Taksim Gezi Park emerges as city’s new alternative hub

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As Taksim Gezi Park, the last remaining green spot in Istanbul’s busy downtown, faced threats by urban renewal projects, locals have taken action to turn the park into city’s new alternative culture hub. Predominantly male-populated regulars in Taksim Gezi Park – the last remaining green spot in Istanbul’s busy downtown – were unable to hide their astonishment, as a group [...] → Read the full article…