THE ROLE OF NGOS IN THE SUSTAINABILITY OF CITY IDENTITY:
TWO CASES FROM ISTANBUL

Istanbul is a metropol with a very rich cultural identity. It has a very strategic location on the straits between Asia and Europe, which makes it a bridge between cultures. Since 1950s, the rapid growth of İstanbul has created various cultural problems. Cities with high growth rates, especially in the developing countries, tend to become areas of major concern due to various reasons. Such as; socio cultural values being ignored and local identities getting lost. The case is exactly the same for İstanbul. İstanbul metropolitan city, with its limited resources and high population growth, is a special case for the research of identity problem.

One common reason known to have negative impact on the problem of identity is known as urban design that has very little or no public participation. Starting from this point of view, two important concepts become clearer: first, loss of city identity and second, the role of NGOs (non governmental organizations).

City identity has been a very clear indication of citizens’ belongingness to the locale where they live. This paper attempts to evaluate two locales in İstanbul, from the NGO’s point of view of handling the local identity, improving the local quality of life and participating in the urban planning process.