urbanismo

The urbanization process in modern Turkey has been marked by the expansion of cities from their historical core to the periphery, a phenomenon largely driven by internal migration from rural to urban areas in the mid-twentieth century. This process was characterized by the construction of houses, commonly referred to as gecekondu, which were built by immigrants using their own financial resources and labor. Gecekondu not only served as a means of shelter but also contributed to the creation of a unique spatial subculture that persists to this day.As urbanization progressed and gecekondu gave way to apartment buildings, the traces of this subculture could be observed in details such as spatial economy, functional preferences, and construction materials. One notable example of such materials is PVC, commonly known as “Pimapen” in Turkish, which has left an indelible mark on the country’s built environment. Pimapen is widely used due to its affordability, accessibility, and flexibility in...

 The sounds of music rising from modified jalopy cars, as you walk through the old slums, is dramatically changed over the years. Even in my own personal history, I witnessed a noticeable differentiation. When I was in middle school, I was working as an ironer in a garment workshop. There was always an arabesque music in background that cannot be suppressed with the overlock and sewing machines and the high-pitched sound of the iron-boiler. While starting the day amid the smells of dark-brewed tea, cigarettes and chemical textile materials is something that absorbs enough life energy, both the melody and the words of the music playing in the background would push people into a deep pessimism. When I left the workshop at the end of the day and breathed the fresh air, I felt like I was born again. While I was sleeping at night, the sounds I had heard all day hung in my ears as a hum. When I talked to one of my friend with whom I was working at that time, he said that the music was go...