Urban Renewal Projects: Set in Stone or Flexible?

In the last couple of years, urban renewal practices in Turkey, has become a more interesting topic for researchers than ever. One reason is that, the evidences of these decade-lasting projects have now become physically tangible and thus, subject to a spectrum of concerns. The other reason, however, relates more to the top-down style that these projects are implemented. Most of the time, it is argued that, the decision making process heavily depends on the local or central governmental authorities, which lack the participation of the people as well as the academic or civil parties. In light of these facts, this paper questions in what extend it is possible to modify –or flex- urban renewal projects according to changing times and conditions, which represent a timeline of administrative, legal, technical, social, political and financial aspects. On one hand, from the authorities viewpoint, it is seen crucial to make solid decisions and comply with these projects without hesitation. On the other hand, it is not always possible to foresee what time would bring and make decisions to cover this fourth dimension. In this paper, one real-life example from the capital city, the New Mamak Urban Renewal Project including 18.000 dwellings, has been analyzed to show how things may get out of hand due to changing conditions in time and how modifications may be needed in the half way. This paper aims to contribute to the real estate sciences in the sense that; complicated and long lasting urban renewal projects can be better accomplished if some flexibility techniques, as suggested in the paper, can be taken into consideration in a well established way.