Memory Studies ‘18 III. International Conference on Memory and the Past, İstanbul, Türkiye, 9 - 10 Kasım 2018, ss.15-33
Cities are in a constant change and urban regeneration plays a
significant role in changing cities. Although citizens are the major actors and
observers of this change, their role is mostly overlooked in macro- historical
narrations. Pace of the urban regeneration in particular cities are so fast
that this pace has a considerable influence on urban memory. While young
citizens have no reminiscent of spaces that exist three decades ago in cities,
the elder dwellers remember them with yearning. Karşıyaka, a special region in
İzmir, was a town with one-storey traditional houses from 1950s to 1970s. Since
1970s, Karşıyaka has undergone an urbanization process. Five-storey apartment
buildings have been built. The population increased with immigration. The city
sprawled on the periphery and squatter housing occurs on the edges of the city.
Nowadays, a new urban regeneration trend has started in the city. Five storey
buildings built in 70s are started to be demolished and new buildings were made
at the same field instead. Squatter houses at the periphery begin to turn into
five storey residential blocks with reconstruction permit given by
municipality.
Especially for cities that undergo remarkable changes in a very short
time like Karşıyaka, photographs have become more important for historical
identity and memory. It is an effective source in terms of both being an
alternative in historiography and being concrete evidence for facts at the same
time. A photograph frames a moment belonging to a space and time, which gives
an information about history of physical environment, residential areas,
changing structures and destroyed nature. At the same time, subject of the
photograph could reveal life style, habits, daily practices and entertainment
culture in relation with examined space and time. Moreover, it reflects how
small dwelling areas are affected by central decisions (Danacıoğlu, 2001,
p.90-95).
Therefore, this study is a qualitative inquiry on memories of residents
situated in photographs taken in Karşıyaka. It aims at revealing the process of
urban regeneration in Karşıyaka, İzmir from mid 1960s to the present through
oral history and family photographs. The reason why family photographs are
chosen to see the change in the city is that panoramic photographs or
large-scaled scenes put a distance between the residents and the city, which
are two inseparable components. Another reason for using family photographs is
creating an urban awareness in owners of the photographs by making them
criticize about continuing urban regeneration. Accordingly, unstructured interviews
with subjects of the family photographs were made, and their narratives were
cross read with academic and municipal sources. Themes as streets, residential
areas, decisions affecting urban environment, daily practices were marked in
the residents' narratives.
Keywords: urban regeneration, memory, photograph, Karşıyaka, İzmir.