CREATING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES IN HISTORICAL HERITAGE SITES: ISTANBUL'S HISTORIC NEIGHBOURHOODS

Abstract

In the light of the growing literature on sustainability, which strongly recommends the development of sustainable cities and communities to tackle the complex and multi-dimensional problems of urban areas, this paper aims to address the question of how to create sustainable communities in the deprived residential neighbourhoods of historical heritage sites. It highlights the interplay between notions of sustainable community, community needs and conservation in Turkey, focusing on Istanbul. After exploring the community needs of Fener and Balat, old Jewish and Christian quarters located in the Historic Peninsula that are under grave threats from physical, social and economic decline, it examines the effectiveness of a recent European Union-funded regeneration programme in developing a sustainable community. After evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the regeneration initiative, this paper highlights the principles that are necessary for future initiatives to achieve sustainable communities in deprived historic neighbourhoods of Istanbul.