Cultural Triangle and Beyond: A Spatial Analysis of Cultural Industries in Istanbul

Cultural industries are regarded among the key sectors for economic development. With its historic heritage, cultural diversity, and urban vitality, Istanbul has significant potential upon which creativity and cultural industries could flourish. This paper examines the current structure of three cultural industries in Istanbul from a spatial perspective. These sectors are arts and culture festivals, the film industry, and the fashion design industry. The results show that these three sectors are spatially clustered in the city, in an area we call the ‘cultural triangle’. This area provides the opportunity of experiencing different types of cultural facilities and activities, accommodates a density of social networks and interactions, and offers an abundance of historic buildings that constitute a unique and attractive urban core. Furthermore it is where Istanbul's ‘critical mass’ is present. The rest of the metropolitan area beyond the cultural triangle, however, is a highly impoverished landscape in regard to creativity and culture. Some suggestions are made of how spatial planning policy can overcome this discrepancy between the centre and the periphery.