Urban green spaces of İstanbul: from ‘beautifying’ efforts to ‘mega-projects’

This study discusses the transformation of urban green spaces in İstanbul, focusing specifically on gardens, groves, parks, and the Northern Forests. Recent research has underscored a significant loss of green space during the 2000s, posing a threat to biodiversity and essential ecosystem services. Despite maintaining a socio-natural continuum, it is evident that the twenty-first century represents a significant departure from the past. This study identifies two pivotal periods: the ‘beautification’ efforts undertaken the young republican period and the ‘mega-projects’ of the 2000s. These periods exhibit both similarities and substantial differences in politics and spatial organization concerning the urbanization of nature. The concept of urban political ecology is incorporated here, which advocates for equal socio-natural solutions and highlights the interconnectedness between urban areas and nature. The study concludes by emphasizing the need to continue examining the winners and losers in transformation of urban green spaces and move beyond project-driven development. It contributes modestly to the growing literature by shedding light on how historically and spatially organized ecologies of urban green spaces in the context of İstanbul can help us understand the socio-spatial changes we are witnessing today, characterized by the extended urbanization of nature worldwide.