The way that Istanbul is designed affects many aspects of how the city functions and has many cultural, political, and financial implications.
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Urban Sprawl
Istanbul has always been a prominent city due to its' location. Because of its many seashores the city has a rich urban structure, which began to develop especially after the construction of the Bosphorus Bridges. Due to the increase in accessibility, the urban fabric of the city has begun to change regarding the transformation from a single nucleus to a multi-nucleus city.
Dokmeci and Berkoz (1993) states that “Istanbul was a vigorous, core-dominated metropolis until well into the 1950s, with a very limited suburban development in the periphery. With this expanded use of the automobile and the construction of the bridges over the Bosphorus, however, the suburbs, in typical fashion, were pushed further out. At the same time, peripheral growth accelerated as squatter settlements increased due to rural migration”.
So, exactly what are the causes of multi-nucleation in Istanbul? There might be several reasons:
1) Commercial centers took charge of the first nucleus to the point that other centers needed to emerge
2) Construction of national highways which allowed for a decentralization from the first nucleus through increased accessibility
3) As Istanbul's economy continued to develop, larger companies began to emerge that needed more space than could be found in the first city center. These firms relocated outside of the center in order to occupy larger offices.
The de-centralization of Istanbul has created an urban sprawl and allowed for the current population with almost 14 million Istanbullus to occupy the city.
Dokmeci and Berkoz (1993) states that “Istanbul was a vigorous, core-dominated metropolis until well into the 1950s, with a very limited suburban development in the periphery. With this expanded use of the automobile and the construction of the bridges over the Bosphorus, however, the suburbs, in typical fashion, were pushed further out. At the same time, peripheral growth accelerated as squatter settlements increased due to rural migration”.
So, exactly what are the causes of multi-nucleation in Istanbul? There might be several reasons:
1) Commercial centers took charge of the first nucleus to the point that other centers needed to emerge
2) Construction of national highways which allowed for a decentralization from the first nucleus through increased accessibility
3) As Istanbul's economy continued to develop, larger companies began to emerge that needed more space than could be found in the first city center. These firms relocated outside of the center in order to occupy larger offices.
The de-centralization of Istanbul has created an urban sprawl and allowed for the current population with almost 14 million Istanbullus to occupy the city.
Financial Sector
Macro Economy
Historically, Istanbul has been the center of the country's economic life due to its location as an international junction of land and sea trade routes. In 2012, the city of Istanbul had a GDP of $332 billion. According to Forbes magazine, Istanbul had a total of 34 billionaires as of March 2008 (up from 25 in 2007), ranking 4th in the world behind Moscow (74 billionaires), New York City (71 billionaires) and London (36 billionaires), while ranking above Hong Kong (30 billionaires), Los Angeles (24 billionaires), Mumbai (20 billionaires), San Francisco (19 billionaires), Dallas (15 billionaires) and Tokyo (15 billionaires). |
According to European Cities Monitor 2010 by Cushman and Wakefield, Istanbul ranks 26th among European- and 33rd among international world cities in terms of business location. However, an insufficient supply of top-quality office buildings along with consistent traffic congestion problems in the city has caused many international businesses to flee the traditional city center and relocate into newly developing business centers since 2005.
Micro Economy
According to the IFC Infrastructure Report, the financial sector is highly concentrated on Sisli-Mecidiyekoy-Buyukdere-Maslak axis on the European side, and in Kadikoy, Kozyatagi, Altunizade, and Kavacik on the Asian side. However, an unbalanced distribution of businesses occur when 67% of offices are located on the European side, 32% are on the Asian side.
Below is the list of financial centers in Istanbul and the percentage of offices they account for in the city:
1) Levent-Maslak (European Side) : 30%
2) Ataturk Airport (European Side) : 18%
3) Umraniye (Asian Side) : 10%
4) Kozyatagi (Asian Side) : 10%
The Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE), inaugurated in 1986, is the sole securities market of Turkey, while Levent and Maslak financial districts are home to the headquarters of Turkey's largest companies and banks, as well as the local headquarters of global giants of the financial sector.
Below is the list of financial centers in Istanbul and the percentage of offices they account for in the city:
1) Levent-Maslak (European Side) : 30%
2) Ataturk Airport (European Side) : 18%
3) Umraniye (Asian Side) : 10%
4) Kozyatagi (Asian Side) : 10%
The Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE), inaugurated in 1986, is the sole securities market of Turkey, while Levent and Maslak financial districts are home to the headquarters of Turkey's largest companies and banks, as well as the local headquarters of global giants of the financial sector.
Industry Statistics
Import/Export: 57% of national export and 60% of national import was made from Istanbul (in 2005), major export is textile
Unemployment rate: 15,5 % (461.185 people)
Unemployment rate: 15,5 % (461.185 people)
- 99% of workers are in private sector
- 1% are in State offices (30,5 % of total workers of Turkey are in Istanbul)
- 53.3 % of the population work in services
- 32.2 % in industry
- 8.1 % in agriculture
- 6.2 % in construction (in 2000)
Transportation
Traffic Congestion
Traffic is a major concern in Istanbul. Analyses show that an increase in private vehicular use, and an inefficient road system are the main causes of traffic in Istanbul. Although public transport is a necessity and commonly used, traffic is widely dominated by private vehicles.. According to the IFC Report, only 2.5% of sea transport consists of the public boat and ferry systems, 97.5% of people traveling to and from the Asian and European sides choose to cross the Bosphorus by land rather than by boat.
Leading Dutch manufacturer of navigation systems TomTom has revealed that İstanbul is the second worst city in terms of traffic congestion in Europe. According to the data, Moscow was at the top of the list with a traffic congestion rate of 65% followed by İstanbul at 57% and Rio de Janeiro in third with a traffic congestion rate of 50 percent. Public Transport Systems
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Public transport in Istanbul comprises a bus network, various rail systems, and maritime services to serve the more than 13 million inhabitants of the city spread over an area of almost 6,000 km2. Istanbul Metro The first underground railway system in Istanbul began construction in 1992 and was opened in 2000, creating a connection between Taksim and Levent. Today the metro line has 224 trains servicing 60 km (36 miles) of network length. |
Sea Transport
In 1987 the Municipality of Istanbul established a company to provide fast sea transport with catamaran-type seabuses. Today, the company İDO serves 29 terminals with a fleet of 28 catamarans, including six fast car ferries. Ferryboats sail on 15 lines serving 27 seaports on the shores of Bosphorus and Sea of Marmara. The 20 older ferryboats carry 61 million passengers yearly. A typical ferry ride between Europe and Asia takes about 15-20 minutes and boats leave the ports every 30 minutes. |
Education
Bogart's criteria states that a metro should have at least one world-class university; Turkey has a total of five world-class universities, three of which are located in Istanbul, according to The World University Rankings of 2012-2013 by Times Higher Education.Co. These universities range between 200-300 range of the best in the world and are listed by ranking as follows:
#201 - #225: Middle East Technical University (Ankara, Turkey)
#226 - #250: Bilkent University (Ankara, Turkey)
#226 - #250: Koc University (Istanbul, Turkey)
#276 - #300: Bogazici University (Istanbul, Turkey)
#276 - #300: Istanbul Technical University (Istanbul, Turkey)
Additionally, "Istanbul University," founded in 1453, is one of the oldest universities in the world, founded initially as a "madrasa" (theological school) by Mehmet II after he conquered Constantinople. Istanbul University has 70,000 students and 5,000 professors and researchers.
Literacy rate of Istanbul is 97.3 % (over 6 years of age), while the country's literacy rate is 95.8%
Below is a list of all 49 universities in Istanbul, in alphabetical order: letter "S" stands for State university and letter "P" stands for private.
#201 - #225: Middle East Technical University (Ankara, Turkey)
#226 - #250: Bilkent University (Ankara, Turkey)
#226 - #250: Koc University (Istanbul, Turkey)
#276 - #300: Bogazici University (Istanbul, Turkey)
#276 - #300: Istanbul Technical University (Istanbul, Turkey)
Additionally, "Istanbul University," founded in 1453, is one of the oldest universities in the world, founded initially as a "madrasa" (theological school) by Mehmet II after he conquered Constantinople. Istanbul University has 70,000 students and 5,000 professors and researchers.
Literacy rate of Istanbul is 97.3 % (over 6 years of age), while the country's literacy rate is 95.8%
Below is a list of all 49 universities in Istanbul, in alphabetical order: letter "S" stands for State university and letter "P" stands for private.
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