Vulnerable individuals’ right to the city. Insights from the Istanbul case

Abstract

This paper, building on the review of the main and complementary concepts and criticisms of Lefebvre’s right to the city, aims to fill a gap in literature concerning the right to the city of vulnerable individuals and groups who face several forms of socio-spatial exclusion in everyday life. It argues that the problems associated with the right to the city particularly affect the vulnerable and can be better addressed by examining the accounts of real-life experiences relayed by vulnerable individuals. Such an examination is delivered based on the case of Istanbul through 48 interviews conducted with city residents who identify themselves with one or more major sociological vulnerability categories. From the accounts of the interviewees’ perceptions of the socio-spatial relationships they establish in public space, the paper concludes with a discussion of the ways in which the right to the city can be achieved and sustained more successfully.