Governance-Driven Incremental Transformation of Open Spaces in an Originally Planned Satellite Town: Implications for Urban Quality of Life in the Case of Bahçeşehir, Istanbul

Abstract

This article examines Bahçeşehir as an originally planned satellite town whose spatial and social fabric has been reshaped through incremental transformations rather than formal urban renewal. While urban change in Türkiye is predominantly discussed through state-led regeneration and large-scale interventions, comparatively little attention has been paid to how gradual, everyday modifications within planned residential environments accumulate over time and affect residents’ lived experience. Addressing this gap, the study investigates how incremental changes in residential open spaces reshape everyday practices and residents’ perceptions of urban quality of life. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork, including in-depth interviews, field observations, and visual–spatial documentation, the analysis employs a systematic thematic coding process using MAXQDA to trace the evolving relationships between planning ideals, governance arrangements, and everyday spatial practices. The findings reveal three interrelated dynamics. First, the gradual fragmentation and partial privatization of open spaces undermined their collective functions. Second, incremental densification and infrastructural pressures reshaped mobility patterns and everyday accessibility. Third, governance ambiguities weakened residents’ sense of ownership, institutional trust, and neighbourhood cohesion. By conceptualizing governance-driven incremental transformation, the study demonstrates how the erosion of planning principles unfolds not through abrupt interventions but through cumulative spatial, institutional, and social shifts. The case of Bahçeşehir contributes to debates on suburban development, open space governance, and urban quality of life by highlighting how governance restructuring operates as a critical yet often overlooked driver of long-term urban transformation in planned residential environments.