Confronted and disappointed? Struggle of Turkish planners against authoritarian state-regulated urban development

Abstract

This chapter highlights the confrontations and disappointments, turning the spotlight on those who continue to struggle against authoritarian state-regulated urban development. Lacking the instruments to fight authoritarian state-regulated neoliberalism, young planners are becoming disillusioned with their profession. The deepening effects of neoliberalisation have blurred the boundaries between public and private interests, prioritising the role of flexible, short-term, collaborative, and strategic approaches to planning, rather than comprehensive, long-term, and holistic visions. The findings of research provide sufficient data for an understanding and interpretation of the changing positions and roles, strategies and actions, behaviours and attitudes of planners in the face of authoritarian state-regulated neoliberal urban development in Turkey. Deniz Kimyon, 29 years old, is a graduate of the City and Regional Planning Department of Middle East Technical University. The results of the questionnaire also reveal that the views of planners on their profession change over the years.