Borders Project progress

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I started initially exploring this as a concept going back to the autumn of 2008 when I started doing some research into the history of the gecekondus

Initial Overview of the history of Gecekondus
Gecekondus: the Turkish word for “overnight” communities that are being cleared to make way for urban regeneration
In the 1970’s and early ‘80s rural communities would take over abandoned ground on the outskirts of Istanbul “overnight”; constructing homes and subsequently entire communities. These overnight towns, or “gecekondus” were thrown up on what was once the outskirts of the city of Istanbul – 40 years ago a city of 2million, however it’s now got a population of approximately 20m and the city skyscrapers and expensive purchased housing stretch beyond and around these shanty communities where the residents pay no taxes or rent.

These gecekondus have elected mayors and leaders and are fully functioning communities; whilst at the same time not always having access to basic utilities (electricity frequently stolen from power lines, water from stand pipes, and often lacking sewerage facilities). The city of Istanbul has grown rapidly (see below) so that these communities, once on the outskirts of the city are now classed as being in the centre of the city and surrounded by what are often expensive developments. The residents of what was once waste land now live on prime real-estate. The Istanbul council is moving these people out to tower blocks on the outskirts of the city (providing them with all utilities, but for the first time with bills and mortgages) and the communities are being broken up. In turn, the land is being used for expensive office and residential space being constructed by “approved” firms. Most often people resist leaving for as long as they can – but when the police and authorities move in to tear down the gecekondus, they do so with only a few hours notice.

Official Population of Istanbul
1970 2,132,407
1980 2,772,708
1990 6,629,431
2000 8,803,468
2007 11,372,613 (general estimates range from 18m to 22m)


Photography to date:
I have visited two gecekondus so far back in November and take the images seen here; www.jonathanlewisphoto.com/LCC/gecekondus/ I have visited one housing estate where the people have also been relocated to.

Future work
I have just got back to Istanbul for the first time since November; so am currently setting up meetings and shoots. The first of which is a visit to a displaced gecekondu community on Friday 16th January with one of it’s former inhabitants. The plan is next to visit a community that has not as yet been served with it’s eviction notices and shoot there from the point of view of the fully functioning vibrant community.

My plan for this Borders project is to cover the following in the next 8 weeks in Istanbul:
• A fully functioning operating gecekondu community within the heart of Istanbul that has not been displaced
• A community that has been partly been displaced
• Land that has been completely cleared, but has remnants of the past community
• New housing that has been built on the old gecekondu land
• The residents of the “expensive” purchased buildings where people pay rent / bills etc and their attitudes to the gecekondus they look upon
• ex-residents from the gecekondus; where do they live now?
o Those in the new developments provided for by the government (only covers x% of gecekondu population
o The remainder of those who have to provide their own accomodation
• The intention is to spend a period of time for part of the winter with some of those who are i) still within the operational gecekondu community and ii) those who are living in the rough shelters constructed after their houses have been demolished and possibly iii) those who are in displaced housing having fully left their old community

Potential future work post Borders deadline:
• Those gecekondus outside of Istanbul; e.g. Ankara and Izmir
• The origins of the people (frequently Kurdish and from the East of Turkey)
• The jobs and roles performed by the people within the city and surrounding areas
• The ongoing impact of being displaced and re-housed (socially and economically)
• Interviews with the housing projects / city council / construction companies
• Possibly interviews with “famous” and “celebrity” ex –gecekondu residents – portrait shots


Groups I intend to discuss my work with following completion of this stage of the Borders project
Human Rights Watch www.hrw.org
International Crisis Group www.crisisgroup.org
Housing & urban development specalists on the impact on low income households within the urban environment and urban planning / migratory pressures. www.gpa.org.uk


Current Reading:
The Formation of Gecekondu Settlements in Turkey – Dr Umut Duyar-Kienast http://books.google.it/books?id=Y5UgeFwK6nQC&pg=PA45&lpg=PA45&dq=payne+Gecekondus&source=bl&ots=riBGWkpN7V&sig=MUlLef9PJ9tVnSsHCU3Klqlx0Ag&hl=it&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result#PPA43,M1

Need to access: am going to contact LCC library
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a781373905~db=all
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a770571213~db=all
http://eab.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/28/6/764