Impact of Dutch real estate development in Turkey

There is a new wave of relations between Turkey and the Netherlands. Since the mid-2000s there is a boom in the Turkish real estate sector. Housing and shopping centers are at the center of this development. Several Dutch companies are playing a major role in this new era of Turkish real estate. Mostly concentrating on shopping centers, firms like Corio, Redevco and Multi are making considerable amounts of investments not only in Istanbul but also in many middle- to large scale cities in Anatolia. These companies are mainly shopping center developers; they are global players that have the know-how on planning, building and managing shopping centers and have access to relevant investment resources from all over the globe.

The shopping centers that these firms have been developing are causing dramatic changes in the urban life in Anatolian cities. These real estate projects have economic and social effects that may be the subject of discussion in areas like real estate, urban planning, sociology, architecture etc.

            A one day event focusing on this issue could provide an opportunity to discuss this new wave of Dutch-Turkish relations. Such an event can bring together urban specialists and real estate investors from both countries.

            Questions that can be raised:

• Who is in power in shaping today’s cities?
• How do shopping centers act as new public spaces?
• What is the knowledge that the Dutch firms are bringing to Turkey and how do they adapt it to local conditions?
• What do Dutch real estate companies conceive from the user behaviors of people in Turkey?