Borders Defining Urban Enclaves: Case Studies from Istanbul

Abstract

Mixed-use projects which are gaining momentum in Istanbul due to urban developments, specifically in the 2000s, may cause various disconnections and undefined spaces within the urban continuity with the borders they create. The study aims at reading the relationship between mixed usages and urban patterns through the concepts of boundary and threshold. Phenomena that are selected for the case study are two large-scale mixed-use projects designed in different typology and architectural forms in neighboring districts of Istanbul. Adopting the conceptual framework specific to urban enclaves, the analysis is carried out through three main characteristics of the projects: namely form, ownership, scale, which are prominent as mixed-use strategies. In this way, the methods of how these boundaries are formed according to these characteristics corresponding to mixed-use strategies were investigated. While the study examines how the projects in question join the city and their relationships with their close surroundings, it also provides an opportunity to evaluate the impact of different strategic approaches, different physical environments and architectural attitudes they present on the creation of the urban enclave form. In conclusion, the findings related to the enclave characteristics of mixed uses were interpreted through their effects on the publicness in the city.