Kuştepe Neighborhood

Kuştepe is a neighborhood in the İstanbul district of Şişli, notable as the city’s first social housing area. Although its strategic location near central business districts, plazas, and shopping centers draws attention today, it is still regarded socioeconomically as a settlement on the urban periphery.^【1】

^{Kuştepe Mahallesi (}AA⁾

Kuştepe’s urban history took shape during the waves of internal migration from rural areas to cities in the 1950s. It was established as the first social housing area under Law No. 6188 dated 1953, which allocated land to those displaced by the demolition of informal settlements known as gecekondus.^【2】 Since the 1950s, the neighborhood has continuously received migrants and developed a multicultural and cosmopolitan demographic structure, home to Roma communities, Armenians, people from the Black Sea region, and migrants from Southeastern Anatolia.^【3】

Despite its location within the metropolitan area, Kuştepe is frequently described in sociological studies as a “suburb” or “decline zone.”^【4】 The income level of the local population is generally low, and employment is characterized by flexible, irregular, and insecure jobs. Poverty is one of the neighborhood’s core dynamics.^【5】 According to sociological field research and resident testimonies, Kuştepe’s socioeconomic structure is marked by the following characteristics:

• Social Isolation and Stigmatization: The presence of social problems such as drug use, theft, and other illicit activities has led the area to be perceived from outside as a dangerous or undesirable place. This perception causes service providers such as taxis and public transport to be reluctant to enter the neighborhood, deepening its spatial isolation.^【6】
• Institutional Needs: Residents emphasize that urban renewal alone is insufficient to achieve lasting solutions to poverty and its associated social problems. They call for the construction of a quality education system, an integrated hospital serving the neighborhood, and police stations with broad authority to ensure public safety.^【7】

Kuştepe is under significant economic and spatial transformation pressure due to its proximity to major transportation corridors and commercial centers. Urban transformation debates in the neighborhood proceed along two main axes:^【8】

1. Displacement Concerns: Fear that residents will be displaced due to speculative interests and that poverty will simply be transferred to another area.
2. In-Situ Transformation: The expectation that living standards can be improved within the neighborhood while preserving its culture, through enhanced education and social support systems.

In these action research studies, Sherry Arnstein’s “Ladder of Participation” model was used to measure the extent to which residents are included in decision-making processes. Initiatives such as the “İkimiz” project have identified local youth leaders, and methods such as perception mapping and Social Impact Assessment (SIA) have been employed to approach Kuştepe’s spatial transformation with cultural and social perspectives.^【9】

To strengthen the Şişli Municipality’s capacity to address social issues and ensure public participation in the process, the Kuştepe Urban Workshop was established in 2018 under the Urban Transformation Directorate. Through the Center for Urban Workshops (KAM), architects, urban planners, academics, and sociologists have collaborated with local residents.^【10】