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Altindag municipality, one of Ankara's most historical districts, includes the oldest "gecekondu" and has some of the poorest neighborhoods, adjacent to the wealthier and most established areas. Since the 1950's, it has gone through several transformations as a result of economic policies, labor market changes, and political interventions. Despite its stigma as an illegal settlement, built and occupied by unskilled, poor migrants from rural areas, most early observers acknowledged the positive energy of the residents, the orderly social life in these settlements, the mechanisms they had developed for successful adaptation to urban life, and their economic contributions. These positive aspects were also reflected in gradual improvements of the physical environment. Starting in 1966, realizing that the market was unable to meet the growing demand for housing, the government responded by amnesty laws that legalized the settlement and brought city services, resulting in political patronage as well as commercialization of the housing stock. Taking advantage of the opportunity to rent, some areas densified with low- and low19 middle income apartments. In the 1980's, liberalization of the economy by massive privatization; localization of administrative functions; reduction of rural subsidies; social assistance; unionization; and Turkey's war against terrorism in the east, led to further migration into already existing gecekondus whose original owners rented housing to the newcomers. At the same time, urban land became more precious so that the government stopped legalizing land tenure and began enforcing the demolition of old squatter developments, especially those that were visible along major arterials. Thus Altindag includes older 5-8 storey apartments where low- and middle-income families live, as well as large patches of very dense older squatter homes, specially on steep hill-sides. The early gecekondus allowed for limited continuation of a rural lifestyle, thus contributing to livability as well as productive use of land for vegetable gardens and husbandry to help meet basic needs. However, today, the environment lacks any type of vegetation since every inch has been converted into rentable area for migrant families. Ties with the rural hinterland and rural ways of living have been severed. At the same time, the labor market has become much more specialized, blocking opportunities of family members for upward mobility from marginal jobs into better paying employment. The environment of the more recent immigrants reflects abject poverty, accentuated by the inability of the residents to improve their physical conditions owing to their status as renters. In most of these neighborhoods, more than 80% of the population is unemployed.
project_description
Altindag municipality, one of Ankara's most historical districts, includes the oldest "gecekondu" and has some of the poorest neighborhoods, adjacent to the wealthier and most established areas. Since the 1950's, it has gone through several transformations as a result of economic policies, labor market changes, and political interventions. Despite its stigma as an illegal settlement, built and occupied by unskilled, poor migrants from rural areas, most early observers acknowledged the positive energy of the residents, the orderly social life in these settlements, the mechanisms they had developed for successful adaptation to urban life, and their economic contributions. These positive aspects were also reflected in gradual improvements of the physical environment. Starting in 1966, realizing that the market was unable to meet the growing demand for housing, the government responded by amnesty laws that legalized the settlement and brought city services, resulting in political patronage as well as commercialization of the housing stock. Taking advantage of the opportunity to rent, some areas densified with low- and low19 middle income apartments. In the 1980's, liberalization of the economy by massive privatization; localization of administrative functions; reduction of rural subsidies; social assistance; unionization; and Turkey's war against terrorism in the east, led to further migration into already existing gecekondus whose original owners rented housing to the newcomers. At the same time, urban land became more precious so that the government stopped legalizing land tenure and began enforcing the demolition of old squatter developments, especially those that were visible along major arterials. Thus Altindag includes older 5-8 storey apartments where low- and middle-income families live, as well as large patches of very dense older squatter homes, specially on steep hill-sides. The early gecekondus allowed for limited continuation of a rural lifestyle, thus contributing to livability as well as productive use of land for vegetable gardens and husbandry to help meet basic needs. However, today, the environment lacks any type of vegetation since every inch has been converted into rentable area for migrant families. Ties with the rural hinterland and rural ways of living have been severed. At the same time, the labor market has become much more specialized, blocking opportunities of family members for upward mobility from marginal jobs into better paying employment. The environment of the more recent immigrants reflects abject poverty, accentuated by the inability of the residents to improve their physical conditions owing to their status as renters. In most of these neighborhoods, more than 80% of the population is unemployed.
Project Description
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