Publication: Creatıve class and art-based gentrification : the case of dolapdere
Abstract
Post-endüstriyalizme geçiş, birçok şehirde tampon bölgelerin oluşumuna yol açmıştır ve İstanbul’un Dolapdere semti, endüstriyel ve yaratıcı sektörlerin bir arada bulunduğu bu alanlardan biridir. Dolapdere, metal işleme ve tekstil üretimi gibi endüstriyel geçmişinin izlerini korurken, aynı zamanda yenilikçi ve sanatsal fikirlerin gelişebileceği alanlar da barındırmaktadır. Dolapdere’deki sanat galerileri ve onlarla birlikte gelen yaratıcı sınıf, bölgenin post-endüstriyel yönünü işaret etmektedir. Ancak, bölgedeki endüstriyel geçmişten net bir kopuş yoktur; hem endüstriyel hem de yaratıcı unsurlar bu mahallede bir arada var olmaktadır. Bu tez, Dolapdere mahallesinde yaratıcı sınıf ile sanat bazlı soylulaştırma arasındaki ilişkiyi ikincil veri kaynaklarına dayalı nitel bir araştırma tasarımı ile incelemektedir. Araştırma kapsamında, uydu görüntüleri üzerinden yapılan mekânsal ve görsel analizler, demografik ve konut verilerinin istatistiksel görselleştirmeleri ile sanat kurumlarının dijital içeriklerinin söylem analizleri bir araya getirilmiştir. Bu çok katmanlı yöntem, doğrudan saha çalışması yerine dijital, görsel ve açık erişimli veriler üzerinden Dolapdere’deki fiziksel, sembolik ve sosyo-ekonomik dönüşümleri değerlendirmektedir. Bu yaklaşım, sanat temelli kentsel değişimleri anlamak için şeffaf ve yeniden üretilebilir bir çerçeve sunmaktadır.
The transition to post-industrialism has led to the formation of buffer zones in many cities, and Istanbul’s Dolapdere is one such area where both industrial and creative sectors coexist. While Dolapdere retains elements of its industrial past, such as metal processing and textile production, it also hosts areas where innovative and artistic ideas can flourish. Art galleries and the members of the creative class, characterized by their entrepreneurial spirit and cultural capital that arrived with art-based gentrification mark the post-industrial side of the neighborhood. However, there is no clear break from its industrial past, as both industrial and creative elements coexist in Dolapdere. This thesis investigates the relationship between the creative class and art-based gentrification in the Dolapdere neighborhood using a qualitative research design based on secondary data sources. The study combines spatial and visual analysis of satellite imagery, statistical visualization of demographic and housing data, and content analysis of digital media produced by local art institutions. Through this multi-layered approach, the research explores how creative actors and art institutions contribute to the neighborhood’s transformation in physical, symbolic, and socio-economic terms—without relying on interviews or direct fieldwork. This method offers a reproducible and transparent framework for understanding art-driven urban change.
The transition to post-industrialism has led to the formation of buffer zones in many cities, and Istanbul’s Dolapdere is one such area where both industrial and creative sectors coexist. While Dolapdere retains elements of its industrial past, such as metal processing and textile production, it also hosts areas where innovative and artistic ideas can flourish. Art galleries and the members of the creative class, characterized by their entrepreneurial spirit and cultural capital that arrived with art-based gentrification mark the post-industrial side of the neighborhood. However, there is no clear break from its industrial past, as both industrial and creative elements coexist in Dolapdere. This thesis investigates the relationship between the creative class and art-based gentrification in the Dolapdere neighborhood using a qualitative research design based on secondary data sources. The study combines spatial and visual analysis of satellite imagery, statistical visualization of demographic and housing data, and content analysis of digital media produced by local art institutions. Through this multi-layered approach, the research explores how creative actors and art institutions contribute to the neighborhood’s transformation in physical, symbolic, and socio-economic terms—without relying on interviews or direct fieldwork. This method offers a reproducible and transparent framework for understanding art-driven urban change.