The limits of growth: A case study of three mega-projects in Istanbul

- Istanbul continues expanding the limits of its growth (and sustainability).
- Mega-projects are the dominant mode of production of urban space and infrastructure.
- The problems of jeopardized natural resources, property rights and expected migration influx could violate the existing urban fabric.
- The key issue with mega-projects is the danger of losing green areas to business development.

This article attempts to identify and analyse the dynamics and mechanisms of urban transformation in Istanbul using the case study of three mega-projects currently underway - the Third Bridge (officially named Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge), the Third Airport, and Kanal Istanbul. Connected via the Northern Marmara Motorway, these independent projects could also be perceived as parts of a big mega-project - shaping a new city in the north of Istanbul. Triggered by goals defined by the national development document “Vision 2023”, and supported by the intensified construction industry, rapid urban growth multiplies a number of challenges and discrepancies between the official vision of progress and professional estimations of its possible outcomes. Consequently, the article gives an insight into the contextual background of the selected projects and the mechanisms of their implementation, whilst focusing on three fields of estimated impacts (urban structure, environment/ecology and community). The mega projects are identified as strategic instruments and agents of change in achieving the anticipated vision of growth, whilst the low level of their general sustainability represents one of the main concerns and drawbacks in both public and professional acceptance of them.