During the transition from industrialization to deindustrialization, the threat of decline
that faced cities stimulated them to become more competitive in the global arena. That is when
urban regeneration became widespread as a sort of revitalization and culture became the key
strategy for the renewal of urban areas. Since then, city-growth through culture has become a
powerful means of city development and branding in the whole world. In the first chapter it is
examined why cities pursue culture-led strategies and how the process of urban regeneration
appeared on a global scene as a way for successful revitalization and transformation of cities in
decline and became a prominent reform mechanism in a range of aspects, where culture was
serving a leading role for a city development and branding. The second axis is based on the
theory and analysis of urban regeneration process and how it evolved in modern times in Istanbul
as a case study. In particular, it is discussed how the culture-led regeneration naturally took turns
with the help of the so-called “pioneers”, and how today the latter ones are used by the
“followers” for investment opportunities in the newly upgrading neighborhoods. A great
attention for regeneration is paid not only to already famous historical places, but also to long
ago forgotten industrial places, that were turned into intellectual, artistic and economically
attractive places. These were the spaces for new modern cultures that were profitably affecting
the economy and vision of the city, developing cultural infrastructure and creating a brand-name
of Istanbul in the whole world. Finally, the third chapter discusses how contemporary culture and
its instruments exert an effect for economic, social outcomes and how it defines an image of the
city in the world, in particular, on the examples of such big cultural events as the International
Istanbul Biennial and the given title of European Capital of Culture 2010. Though a lot more has
to be done in the nearest future, Istanbul has declared its bid to become a World Culture city and
has definitely joined the worldwide competition to become a leader in the global network of
capitalist cities.
Key Words: culture-led urban regeneration, gentrification, globalization, cultural economy,
cultural branding, brownfield regeneration, ECOC 2010, art, Istanbul.
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