The last round in restructuring the city: Urban regeneration becomes a state policy of disaster prevention in Turkey

In Turkey, urban regeneration mirrors a shift towards neoliberal urban policies based on economic strategy-making. The measures in the name of “regeneration for liveable cities” are rapidly transforming the appearance of inner-city areas with great revenue-generating potential. The boundaries of legitimization are described in areas where the process of depression is visible and the social acceptability of the residential population decreases, and at present are under the risk of disasters, mostly in squatter housing areas and dilapidated historical centers. Legal regulations have been reformulating this system since the 1980s so that applications can be supported effortlessly and facilitated through government assistance.This study discusses the final legal regulation, namely Law No. 6306, which is the Law on the Regeneration of Areas Under the Risk of Disasters. The study leans on the hypothesis that: This law has opened a new gateway for a fast and organized system of urban regeneration. Urban regeneration has gained a new momentum with the inclusion of risk identification in a country under the risk of earthquakes. The study methodology begins with a literature review concerning urban regeneration, development of urban regeneration in Turkey, and disaster risk. Second, legal regulations in favor of urban regeneration and Cabinet decisions on risk areas in Turkey are critically examined. Finally, areas that are designated to be under the risk of disasters in Ankara are analyzed based on earthquake risk identification, urban development, and urban policy strategies in favor of regeneration.The findings of the study substantiate the hypothesis. Regeneration is now increasing the resilience of societies to natural disasters. However, the development of the criteria of disaster risk as a reason for regeneration is not mature enough to be a part of a mitigation strategy and an integrated planning approach. While all risk areas are in deprived or squatter housing areas, risk assessment is not so difficult in terms of physical vulnerability. Economic and social vulnerabilities are out of the scope, and there is no regeneration perspective. Thus, the interventions that are performed with this law produce the same results, that is, a single recipe of regeneration which is poorly integrated into a planned urban development strategy. Gentrification is still the unpronounced, yet expected, result.