In the name of "urban transformation", poor families and immigrants are pushed to the outer parts of the city. The public coasts, parks and districts which used to be accessible by all people living in Istanbul are privatized. Small artisans are expelled from their shops and luxurious hotels and superstores are opened up. The cultural heritage that belongs to everyone is turned into hotels that cater only to only rich tourists. State facilities and buildings are handed over as national and trans-national capital. The quarters where the poor populations live are turned into expensive areas full of rich people. The human and cultural values that define the city are replaced by its vulgar copies.
Istanbulmap is an attempt by Istanbulites and Istanbul-lovers to exhibit, circulate and share our awareness of this process, our determination and power to struggle and intervene in this process in artistic ways. Istanbulmap is just one of the ways to defend the city in the name of its citizens, alligning itself with those who think in the same way.
Source: Istanbul map