Yahya Kemal District was one of the oldest Rumanian residential areas in Kagithane (since 1940s). Locals were mostly waste pickers, flower sellers and street musicians. In the last five years, the upcoming trend in Kagithane region has also affected this district and the locals have been expelled in order to establish recreation areas. In exchange for a little payoff, part of the householders and tenants with lower economy income moved to indicated areas as a part of the confiscation by Municipal Corporation. However, they came back to their former location due to demanding economic and social life in distant suburbs.
The ones who refused to leave resisted for a long period of time and carried out numerous negotiations with Municipal Corporation. The goal of the project was defending the feasibility of the idea: “without expelling the residents, creating a new residential area with their own resources and providing better living conditions through their occupations”.
More than one month, our friend Onur Yaser Can, studied on the demographic structure of the locals who currently live in the neighborhood and are obliged to move out, listened to their demands, and comprehended their needs. He designed a convenient residential area for their common life, entertainment and work culture.
The residents who contributed to the city’s sustainability by collecting its waste and who enhanced life in every aspect would have maintained these characteristics in their neighborhood as well. The project was designed as a stainless steel construction and part of the material would be provided by swapping the wasted metals. Wasted paper would be processed and used as an isolation material. Common living spaces, both indoors and outdoors, were prioritized as the key element of living together in cooperation. Parking spaces for waste trolleys and workshops for recycling of wastes were also considered. In this period, many ideas were generated that could contribute to the progression of the residents’ economic and social lives. And these ideas were transferred to space setting. Sports facilities that were shown by Municipal Corporation as the motivation of confiscation also took part in the project. This project would have taken an area identified as “wreck”, turn it into a proper living space and make it a part of the city while improving the real residents’ conditions without changing their life styles. Despite the efforts from the stakeholders, this project has never been realized.
