Urban Sprawl by Densification as a Public Health Issue: a Critical Review on the Peripheral Urbanization of Ankara

Abstract

Today, urbanization is spreading all over the planet faster than ever before in history. The hypothesis of the complete urbanization of society revealed by Henri Lefebvre in his book 'Urban Revolution' dated 1970 provides a strong theoretical foundation for the interpretation and critique of this current and global state of urbanization. This contemporary condition of the urban and urbanization manifests itself not only within the spatial context but also in the everyday life practices. The capital city of Turkey, Ankara, is the radical case for this global condition of urbanization because of the recent urbanization process in its peripheries. A fragmented, shapeless, formless, and market-driven urbanization process is taking place on the peripheries of Ankara for the last decade, in which neither wealthy nor healthy urban space has been built. Therefore, a critical approach is needed to start a discussion on the alternative planning and design processes for these urban spaces to make them livable and healthy for urban society. To support the critical theoretical approach of this study, ethnographic fieldwork was carried out together with spatial analysis of the case areas. Preliminary results of the spatial analysis show that these newly urbanizing areas have limited access to health services, while at the same time, automobile-oriented mobility caused by unlimited urban sprawl is detrimental to air quality. In addition, the ethnographic field research revealed that the isolated urban life produced in the case areas has negative effects on mental health as well. It can be said that the urbanization experience in the peripheries of Ankara under the neoliberal policies is far from creating a healthy society.