A Spatial Strategy for Refugee Integration in the Urban Environment

Abstract

The Syrian civil war has created a large refugee influx in the urban environment of surrounding countries. Half a million of Syrian refugees have settled in the metropolitan area of Istanbul, evoking an ad hoc humanitarian response. This master thesis proposes an interdisciplinary long-term approach, operating at the intersection of humanitarian aid and urban planning and design. It investigates how a spatial strategy, that takes into account the complexity of the urban environment, long and short-term goals, and involved actors, could enhance the integration process of refugees. The research predominantly focuses on qualitative data in the metropolitan area of Istanbul and a multiple case study on two districts: Sultanbeyli and Zeytinburnu. Integration can be considered as the process in which refugees become an accepted part of society, where interactions between refugees and the receiving society determine the direction and outcome. It comprises a legal-political, socio-economic, and cultural-religious dimension. As a final result, the collaborative process in which the spatial strategy is constructed and an exemplary spatial strategy are developed. This strategy enhances the cultural-religious integration of refugees and the receiving society, by employing the potential of interactions in public space.