Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture: an impetus for the regeneration of the historic city

Abstract

The initiative for Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture, which started as a civil organisation, has been presented as a project of citizenship, besides its apparent goal of increasing the publicity of Istanbul as a multi-cultural metropolis. In this framework, highlighting the city’s cultural heritage has been one of the principal objectives of the project. The organisation of Istanbul 2010 ECOC has been engaged to provide exemplary projects especially for the sites inscribed in the World Heritage List by UNESCO, by promoting participatory urban experiences based on knowledge-based, multi-action coordination models. Although the ECOC process has not been completed yet, one can argue that the Istanbul 2010 Agency has achieved its objectives in a number of urban rehabilitation projects, while «urban renovation projects» led by district municipalities still remain highly controversial.