Fener ve Balat’ın Dönümüşü Üzerine: Üç Vizyon / Üç Dönem / Üç Ayrı “Koruma” Anlayışı (On Fener and Balat Districts’ Transformation: Three Visions / Three Periods / Three Diverse “Conservation” Perspectives)

The implementation of the neoliberal economic policies in Turkey has started with a military coup, as it has happened in other developing countries as well. After the 1980 military coup, İstanbul has become the main stage where these policies get implemented. The aim of this article is to analyze the change in Fener and Balat districts (from a historic preservationist point of view) between 1980 and 2013 in relation to the changes in the local management policies. Three consequentially prepared urban projects; Golden Horn Coastal Rearrangement Project-GHCRP (1984-1982), Fener and Balat Districts Rehabilitation Program-FBDRP (1998-2005), and Fener Balat Ayvansaray Urban Renewal Project-FBAURP (2004-2013) have had direct impacts on the area. In this context, this article focuses on this essential question: “What is the starting point for each project and what has each project achieved in urban conservation?”. To answer this question and to measure the success and/or failure of each project, the criteria are determined and each criterion is analyzed through following questions: -How did ‘the historic urban fabric’ of the site has changed after the project? -How did the project de ne ‘authenticity’ and how did it preserve the authenticity of the edi ces within the project area? -Is the ‘physical and social integrity’ preserved with the project?