Tracing What Remains Behind the Natural Coastline: Unpacking the Delivery of Land Reclamation in Yeşilköy Through Lot 5

Abstract

Landfill practices, which have gained momentum within the scope of global urbanization, have drawn attention to coastlines. Presenting opportunities for legitimate urban growth, altering the coastal edges redefines not only the physical split between land and sea but also the social life it engenders. To address this challenge, this article aims to reveal the socio-spatial dynamics of reclaimed urban coastlines, exploring both macro and micro perspectives and their interplay, ultimately proposing a novel methodological approach by employing a narrative lens. Applying this methodological framework, the article traces the historical trajectory of the Yeşilköy coastline in Istanbul, scrutinizing its macro dynamics through the microcosm of Lot 5. The narrative lens of the study is formed by archival sources, including visual and written texts about the Yeşilköy coastline and Lot 5, and semi-structured interviews. Adopting Lot 5 as a micro perspective, the study sheds light on the crucial role it plays as a critical witness to the evolving winds of change in the social and cultural environment, along with the concurrent urban political tendencies that accompany this transformation. Lot 5's significance lies in its connection to Motel Yeşilköy, a renowned mid-20th-century architectural landmark, situated in the same parcel. By acknowledging its association with Motel Yeşilköy, articulating Lot 5 together with the urban context in which it inhabits offers a nested perspective for deciphering the reclaimed coast of Yeşilköy. The paper concludes that the Yeşilköy natural coastline, despite being subjected to landfilling, perpetuates both in urban memory and as a physical boundary. The findings of this paper, therefore, suggest the coastline reclamation to be evaluated within the intricate nature of intertwined spatial narratives at multiple scales, rather than as an expansion of an urban edge isolated from its context.