Dynamic behavior of the city center in Istanbul

Abstract

Abstract Since the 1950s urban areas in Istanbul have gone through a rapid expansion. A number of problems have accompanied this growth, including an infrastructure lag, the expansion of squatter settlements, urban blight, pollution and traffic congestion. In the process of metropolitanization in Istanbul, the subcenters have developed towards the north. Attempts to solve the problems of metropolitanization indicate the need for a better understanding of the dynamics of complex metropolitan areas. This study evaluates the existing capacity and the potential for development of the Central Business District (CBD) in Istanbul in terms of the demand for various activities. In this study, the changes that have occurred in the functional areas and in the pattern of employment in the historical and the new CBD are examined by means of a dynamic simulation model based on Forrester's Urban Dynamics Model. In the first section of the paper, the aims of the study are introduced. In the second section, general information about Istanbul's CBD is given. In the third section, the models that are used in urban and regional modeling are reviewed and the theoretical structure of Urban Dynamics Model is presented. In the fourth section, applications of the developed computer simulation model are presented. In the fifth section, the results are discussed.