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Melissa Marschall, Ph.D., is a Professor of Political Science at Rice University and a Rice Faculty Scholar at the Baker Institute. Her research focuses on urban politics and policy, education policy, representation, and Turkish politics. Marschall created the Urban Lab Program at Rice University and has taught a lab course on urban politics and policy in Istanbul since 2011. She is currently working on a research project that examines the connections between Turkish government housing projects, clientelistic politics and the durability of the AKP ruling party. She received her M.A. in political science and international relations from Boğaziçi University in Istanbul and her Ph.D. in political science from SUNY Stony Brook.
Mega Projects and the Limits of Urban Planning in Megacities: The Case of Istanbul in the AKP Era
This essay examines the politics of the Istanbul Master Plan, which was created by the Istanbul Metropolitan Planning and Urban Design Center (IMP), focusing on the role of non-governmental organizations. The essay addresses three main questions. First, to what have NGOs been involved in the formulation, implementation, and oversight of the Istanbul Master Plan? Second, what form has their activism taken and what has been the response of the AKP government? And third, what are the prospects for achieving the balance between conservation and development originally envisioned by the Istanbul Master Plan?
