Expectations of Elderly People Regarding Urban Renewal Based on Their Cultural Capital: The Case of Istanbul

Abstract

Introduction:This study analyzes expectations of the elderly (over 65 years of age) residents of Istanbul regarding urban renewal on the basis of their cultural capital. The literature review indicated that a very limited number of studies existed that focused on urban renewal while considering elderly people"s views. In those studies, the elderly often is either treated as a homogenous group or separated on the basis of their ethnicity and/or socioeconomic status. Therefore, this study was conducted to fill an important gap in the literature, namely that the analysis of the differentiation of urban renewal expectations of the elderly based on their cultural capital.Materials and Methods:The data were collected via face-to-face surveys conducted with 1818 elderly people in 20 districts. In this study, cultural capital was operationalized in line with the embodied and institutionalized aspects as well as the taste dimension. Moreover, an urban renewal expectations scale was developed, and a one-way analysis of variance was carried out among the elderly based on their cultural capital and their scores in the urban renewal expectations scale.Results:The study highlights elderly people"s expectations of urban renewal with regard to their economic profits and the physical and social improvement of the housing and environment in which they live.Conclusion:The low-cultural capital group has been identified as the most fragile group, and the negative consequences of urban renewal that may result in displacement, family division, and isolation have been emphasized.