Transitioning from Artichoke Fields to a Peri-Urban Settlement: The Role of İzmir Katip Çelebi University
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15320/ICONARP.2025.318Keywords:
Izmir, Peri-urbanisation, Rural-urban dynamics, Spatial change, University impactAbstract
The rapid urbanisation experienced in Türkiye since the mid-20th century has dramatically reshaped the urban landscape. This transformation has been particularly evident through the phenomenon of peri-urbanisation, a process marked by the expansion of urban spaces without cohesive spatial development planning at various government levels. A notable misalignment exists between the decisions made at higher levels of governance, such as the siting of new university campuses, and the master plans implemented at local levels. This disconnect often results in urban environments that are unbalanced and fail to meet their intended purposes.
The present research focuses on the Balatçık neighbourhood in the Çiğli District of İzmir, where İzmir Katip Çelebi University has been established. This area exemplifies the socio-spatial changes induced by the integration of significant educational infrastructure into its peri-urban context. Initially a peripheral settlement, Balatçık has evolved into a complex urban area that straddles the identities of both a residential community and a university town. This case study aims to dissect the spatial transformations prompted by this development, exploring how the neighbourhood’s composition, demographic characteristics, and housing market dynamics have been altered with the following research question, what key factors have influenced the spatial transformation of Balatçık Neighbourhood from a rural settlement to a peri-urban area, particularly in relation to the development of a new university campus?
Utilising a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates statistical analysis, document review, semi-structured interviews, and field observations. Quantitative data was obtained from open-access sources, while qualitative insights were gathered through interviews (n=21) with residents, business owners, real estate agents, and local administrators. Thematic coding was employed for analysing collected data, revealing key socio-spatial patterns. Employing both quantitative and qualitative data, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of the impacts of policy misalignment on Balatçık. By investigating these changes, the research seeks to offer insights into the broader implications of urban planning decisions in Türkiye. The findings are intended to inform future urban development strategies, emphasizing the need for coordinated planning across different governmental levels to foster balanced and purposeful urban growth.
Metrics
References
Ackermann, A. & Visser, G. (2016). Studentification in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series, 31 (31), 7–17, https://doi:10.1515/bog-2016-0001
Ahani, S., Dadashpoor, H. (2021). Urban growth containment policies for the guidance and control of peri-urbanization: a review and proposed framework. Environmental Development and Sustainability, 23, 14215–14244. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-021-01268-5
Amendment to the Law on Organization of Higher Education Institutions and Some Laws and Decree-Laws Law No. 6005
Akçakanat, T., Çarıkçı, İ. & Dulupçu, M.A. (2010) Üniversite öğrencilerinin bulundukları il merkezine ekonomik katkıları ve harcama eğilimleri: Isparta 2003-2009 yılları örneği. SDÜ Fen Edebiyat Fakültesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 22 (2), 165–178.
Atik, H. (1999). Üniversitelerin Yerel Ekonomiye Katkilari: Teori Ve Erciyes Üniversitesi Üzerine Bir Uygulama. Erciyes Üniversitesi İktisadi Ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi (15), 99-109.
Balaban, O. (2012). The negative effects of construction boom on urban planning and environment in Turkey: Unraveling the role of the public sector. Habitat International, 36(1), 26-35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2011.05.003
Bruegmann, R. (2006). Sprawl: A Compact History. University of Chicago Press. ISBN: 978-0226076911
Buzar, S., Ogden, P., Hall, R., Haase, A., Kabisch, S., & Steinfiihrer, A. (2007). Splintering urban populations: emergent landscapes of urbanisation in four European cities. Urban Studies, 44(4), 651-677. https://doi.org/10.1080/00420980601185544
Castells, M. (2004). Informationalism, Networks, and the Network Society: A Theoretical Blueprint. In Castell, M. (Eds.), The Network Society (pp. 3-45). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781845421663.00010
Champion, T. (2001). Urbanization, Suburbanization, Counterurbanization and Reurbanization. In Paddison, R. (Eds.), Handbook of Urban Studies (pp. 143-162). SAGE Publication Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781848608375
Colsaet, A., Laurans, Y., & Levrel, H. (2018). What drives land take and urban land expansion? A systematic review. Land Use Policy, 79, 339-349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.08.017
Çiğli Kaymakamlığı (2020). İlçemizin tarihçesi [History of our district]. Retrieved October 19, 2022, from http://www.cigli.gov.tr/ilcemizin-tarihcesi-.
Çiğli Municipality (2023). Construction data from the development directorate.
Davis, M. (2006). Planet of Slums. Verso Books. ISBN:1-84467-022-8
Dewi, S.P., Ristianti, N.S. & Debby, T.R. (2019) 'Mapping of Studentification Process in Tembalang Higher Education Area', IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 313, https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/313/1/012011
Ewing, R., & Hamidi, S. (2015). Compactness versus sprawl: A review of recent evidence from the United States. Journal of Planning Literature, 30(4), 413–432. https://doi.org/10.1177/0885412215595439
Ewing, R., Bartholomew, K., Winkelman, S., Walters, J., & Chen, D. (2017). Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change. Urban Land Institute. ISBN: 978-0-87420-082-2
Erbaş, Ö. (2022). İstisnalar coğrafyası: İstanbul’un büyük ölçekli ulaşım ve altyapı projeleri sürecinde kentin, planlamanın ve kurumsal yapıların değişimi [The Geography of exceptions: The change of the city, planning and institutional structures in the process of Istanbul's large-scale transportation and infrastructure projects]. In E. Acara & M. Penbecioglu (Eds.) Tamamlanmamis Kentsel Devrim (pp. 117-136). Istanbul Bilgi University Publications. ISBN 978-605-399-585-2
Fabula, S., Boros, L., Kovács, Z., Horváth, D. & Pál, V. (2017) Studentification, diversity and social cohesion in post-socialist Budapest. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin. 66 (2), 157–173. https://doi.org/10.15201/hungeobull.66.2.5
Florida, R. (2002). The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It's Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life. Basic Books. https://doi.org/10.2307/3552294
Gehl, J. (2010). Cities for People. Island Press. ISBN: 978-1597265737
Görkemli, H. N. (2009). Economic Impacts of Selcuk University on the City of Konya. Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 22, 169-186.
Grabkowska, M. & Frankowski, J. (2016) ‘Close to the city centre, close to the university’. Are there symptoms of studentification in Gdańsk, Poland?. Bulletin of Geography, 32 (32), 73-83. https://doi.org/10.1515/bog-2016-0016
Gu, H., & Smith, D. P. (2020). ‘Living off the campus’: urban geographies of change and studentification in Beijing, China. Urban Geography, 41(2), 205-224. https://doi.org/10.1080/02723638.2019.1659071
He, S. (2015) Consuming urban living in ‘villages in the city’: Studentification in Guangzhou, China. Urban Studies, 52 (15), 2849-2873. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098014543703
Hinderink, J., & Titus, M. (2002) Small towns and regional development: Major findings and policy implications from comparative research. Urban Studies, 39, 379–391. https://doi.org/10.1080/00420980220112748
Hochstenbach, C. (2019). The age dimensions of urban socio-spatial change. Population, Space and Place. https://doi.org/10.1002/psp.2220
Hubbard, P. (2008) Regulating the social impacts of studentification: A Loughborough case study. Environment and Planning A, 40 (2), 323–341. https://doi.org/10.1068/a396
IAOSB (2023). About us. Retrieved March 1, 2023, from http://www.iaosb.org.tr/content/about-us/zone-presentation
IKCU (2019). 2020-2024 Stratejik Planı [Strategic Plan for 2020-2024]. https://ikcu.edu.tr/StratejikPlan/2020/#
IKCU (2023). Öğrenci İstatistikleri [Student Statistics]. Retrieved November 19, 2023, from https://ubs.ikc.edu.tr/BIP/BusinessIntelligence/Students/TotalStudents.
IZKA (2021). İzmir Endüstriyel Miras Envanteri [Izmir Industrial Heritage Inventory] https://izka.org.tr/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/endustriyel-miras.pdf.
Karataş Acer, E., & Güçlü, N. (2017). An analysis of the expansion of higher education in Turkey using the new institutional theory. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 17, 1911−1933. http://dx.doi.org/10.12738/estp.2017.6.003
KYK (2023). KYK Yurt Kapasiteleri. Retrieved February 19, 2023, from https://kygm.gsb.gov.tr/Public/Edit/images/KYK/se%C3%A7ime%20%C3%A7%C4%B1k%C4%B1lacak%20i%C5%9Fletme%20yerlerinin%20listesi.pdf
Lang, R. E. (2003). Edgeless Cities: Exploring the Elusive Metropolis. Brookings Institution Press. ISBN: 9780815706113
LeGates, R. T., & Stout, F. (2018). The City Reader. Routledge. ISBN: 9780367204792
Lewis, W. A. (1954). Economic Development with Unlimited Supplies of Labour. The Manchester School, 22(2), 139-191. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9957.1954.tb00021.x
Livingstone, N., Fiorentino, S., & Short, M. (2023). Density, planning, and the emergent landscapes of purpose-built student accommodation in England. Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsc.2023.1119399
Logan, J. R., & Molotch, H. L. (1987). Urban Fortunes: The Political Economy of Place. University of California Press. ISBN: 9780520055773
Losch, B., Fréguin-Gresh, S. & White, E.T. (2012) Structural transformation and rural change revisited: Challenges for late developing countries in a globalizing world. Washington, DC: World Bank Publications. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-0-8213-9512-7
Lynch, K. (1960). The Image of the City. MIT Press. ISBN: 9780262620017
Miessner, M. (2021). Studentification in Germany: How investors generate profits from student tenants in Goettingen and the impacts on urban segregation. European Urban and Regional Studies, 28(2), 133–154. https://doi.org/10.1177/0969776420934850
Sage, J., Smith, D., & Hubbard, P. (2013). New-build Studentification: A Panacea for Balanced Communities? Urban Studies, 50(13), 2623–2641. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098013477694
Sandercock, L. (2017). Toward Cosmopolis: Planning for Multicultural Cities. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN: 978-0471971986
Satterthwaite, D. (2016). A new urban agenda? Environment and Urbanization, 28(1), 3-12. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956247816637501
Savage, M., Bagnall, G., & Longhurst, B. (2005). Globalization and belonging. London: Sage. ISBN: 0-7619-4985-2
Silva, C. (2018). Auckland’s urban sprawl, policy ambiguities and the peri-urbanisation to Pukekohe. Urban Science, 3(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci3010001
Situmorang, R., Sudikno, A., Surjono, S., Wicaksono., A. (2020). Conceptual Framework of Studentification Impacts in Malang City, Indonesia. International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology, 29(05), 585 - 593.
Smith, D. P., & Holt, L. (2007). Studentification and ‘Apprentice’ Gentrifiers within Britain’s Provincial Towns and Cities: Extending the Meaning of Gentrification. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 39(1), 142–161. https://doi.org/10.1068/a38476
Smith, D. P., & Hubbard, P. (2014). The segregation of educated youth and dynamic geographies of studentification. Area, 46(1), 92–100. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24029947
Stockdale, A. (2002). Out–migration from rural Scotland: The importance of family and social networks. Sociologia Ruralis, 42(1), 41-64. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9523.00201
Storper, M., & Manville, M. (2006). Behaviour, preferences and cities: Urban theory and urban resurgence. Urban Studies, 43(8), 1247-1274. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43201655
Öztürk, S., Torun, İ., & Özkök, Y. (2013). Anadolu’da Kurulan Üniversitelerin İllerin Sosyo-Ekonomik Yapılarına Katkıları. Mustafa Kemal Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 8(16), 145-158.
Revington, N., Moos, M., Henry, J., & Haider, R. (2020). The urban dormitory: Planning, studentification, and the construction of an off-campus student housing market. International Planning Studies, 25(2), 189-205.
Sargin, S. (2017). Üniversitelerin Şehirleşmeye Etkileri: Isparta Örneği. Fakülte Kitabevi.
Savaş Yavuzçehre, P. (2016). Üniversitelerin Kentlerine Etkileri: Denizli Pamukkale. Üniversitesi.Örneği. Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi İktisadi Ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 21(1), 235-250.
Tacoli, C. (2003). The links between urban and rural development. Environment and Urbanization, 15 (1): 3–12 https://doi.org/10.1177/095624780301500111
TUIK (2021). Demographic Features. Retrieved July 10, 2020, from https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Kategori/GetKategori?p=Nufus-ve-Demografi-109
Woldoff, R. A., & Weiss, K. G. (2018). Studentification and disorder in a college town. City & Community, 17(1), 259-275. https://doi.org/10.1111/cico.12279
Yilmaz, C. (2011). Anadolu Kentlerinin Ogrencilesmesi: Baska bir kentlesme denegimi. Sosyoloji Dergisi, 25, 1-17. ISSN: 1300-5642
YÖK (2023). Higher education undergraduate atlas. Retrieved December 10, 2023, From https://yokatlas.yok.gov.tr/lisans-anasayfa.php
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 ICONARP International Journal of Architecture and Planning

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
COPYRIGHT POLICY
1. The International Journal of Architecture and Planning (ICONARP) open access articles are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDeriatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). This license lets the author to share (copy and redistribute) his/her article in any medium or format.
2. ICONARP cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms. Under the following terms:
The author must give appropriate credit, provide a link to ICONARP, and indicate if changes were made on the article. The author may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the ICONARP endorses the author or his/her use.
The author may not use the article for commercial purposes.
If the author remix, transform, or build upon the article, s/he may not distribute the modified material.
The author may share print or electronic copies of the Article with colleagues.
The author may use the Article within his/her employer’s institution or company for educational or research purposes, including use in course packs.
3. The author authorizes the International Journal of Architecture and Planning (ICONARP) to exclusively publish online his/her Article, and to post his/her biography at the end of the article, and to use the articles.
4. The author agrees to the International Journal of Architecture and Planning (ICONARP) using any images from the Article on the cover of the Journal, and in any marketing material.
5. As the author, copyright in the Article remains in his/her name.
6. All papers should be submitted electronically. All submitted manuscripts must be original work that is not under submission at another journal or under consideration for publication in another form, such as a monograph or chapter of a book. Authors of submitted papers are obligated not to submit their paper for publication elsewhere until an editorial decision is rendered on their submission. Further, authors of accepted papers are prohibited from publishing the results in other publications that appear before the paper is published in the Journal.