The effects of spatial relations in property-led regeneration

In Turkey, since the entry of the Law on Redevelopment of Areas under Disaster Risk (Law No. 6306) into force in 2012, there has been a significant increase in the number of both property-led and area-based renewals. Property-led regeneration works as an invisible tool of a greater urban regeneration process that creates a broader impact on the city. Although the practice is comprised of singular constructions, as it reflects the renewal of individual buildings, it transforms the general appearance of the urban fabric. This transformation is not as sharp as it is in area-based urban regeneration practices, but still the individually renewed buildings dramatically affect the quality of urban space. The sole control of local authorities over this renewal process is the construction and utilisation permits they give. In spite of this uncontrolled and unplanned trend, these renewals seem to concentrate in certain areas occasionally, suggesting that there are some determinants. Particularly, the differentiation in areas which have similar building densities and construction permits is remarkable. This paper presents a part of a more comprehensive research that investigates the triggering factors and consequences of property-led regeneration. The entire central area of Bakirköy, Istanbul that has varying building densities and different settlement layouts has been selected for case study. Within the scope of this paper, the locations of individual renewals are analysed in terms of their spatial relations. This way, it is aimed to understand the role of spatial relations in property-led regenerations. By defining the factors that affect the locations of these individual constructions, it would be possible to predict the locations that have this tendency. We believe that such an approach would be of significant aid for the local authorities to take necessary precautions to direct this process which considerably affects the quality of urban space.