Guest lecture -- Commercial Gentrification (Istanbul University)

Guest lecture, 15:00 October 16, 2024, Istanbul University

Political Science and International Relations Research Center is kicking off the new academic year with an exciting event! We are pleased to welcome Jan Rath, Professor Emeritus at the University of Amsterdam and editor of the International Migration journal. Don’t miss this important lecture—join us for an insightful discussion! Lecture will take place on October 16th at 15:00. Location: Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics (EK Bina-1, IK106).

Professor Rath's talk is based on his observations in the Netherlands and has many implications for migration-related spatial transformations and commercial gentrification in Istanbul.

His paper will focus on the ‘Boulevard Zuid’ shopping strip in a working-class neighborhood in the Southern part of Rotterdam. The paper shows how the popular shopping street of yesteryear has now become a parade of migrant businesses operating at the lower end of the market. While expensive apartments are being built in the area (as part of a major urban renewal program), Boulevard Zuid remains remarkably popular and ethnically diverse. The political pressure to promote commercial gentrification and to help foster the development of a middle-class shopping experience is rising, but the results are relatively poor as yet. Street level bureaucrats who mediate between owners, shopkeepers, customers, and residents, supposedly implement the policies, but they are keeping a sharp eye that existing qualities continue to be appreciated.

For more information, go Istanbul University's website.

The lecture is part of the BROAD-ER program that aims to bridge the migration and urban nexus.