GLOBALISATION, POLITICS AND PLANNING DECISIONS: A CASE STUDY OF KOC UNIVERSITY IN ISTANBUL Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) Murat Cemal Yalcintan London School of Economics and Political Science 2005 UMI Number: U615866 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U615866 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 OF POLITICAL ANO S^fic 52 o Ol o Q IT) Q Abstract This study aims to develop an understanding of local politics and planning within the context of the interplay of global-local forces. It focuses on the actors and the decision­ making processes in Istanbul, using the development of the Koc University campus as an illustration. In doing this, globalisation is shown to contain plural processes with many possible scenarios and local interests are seen to have an important role. In this context, globalisation, either as a concept or reality, was found to be too broad and vague to provide an immediate basis for analysis. Thus, it was necessary to deconstruct it. Discussions on globalisation in this study aim to contribute to the methodology of globalisation studies as well as creating a usable framework for analysing the case study. The case study focuses on the impacts of globalisation on one important urban decision­ making process - the location decision of a higher education institution, Istanbul’s Koc University, as the investment of a multi-national company. In the chapters setting up the framework, the relations between globalisation and higher education are explained drawing on theory and practice. Debates on the location of higher education institutions in the literature are also introduced with examples from around the world. Then the actors and decision-making processes in Istanbul are analysed in depth to find out how globalisation impacts on behaviours, motivations and negotiation strategies. It is concluded that the global impacts on the decision-making processes are quite vague - often only discursive and speculative. There is much continuity with the past in the way that actors behave although they have to respond to the increasing influence of civil society. However, globalisation has brought shifts in the different strengths, motivations and negotiation bases in decision-making. Consequently, new forms of local politics, planning and decision-making are necessary to respond to the new elements introduced by the penetration of global forces although appreciating that traditional local forces remain strong. 2 Table of Contents Abstract 2 Table of Contents 3 List of Figures 8 List of Tables 9 List of Maps 10 List of Photos 11 List of Acronyms 12 Acknowledgements 14 Chapter One INTRODUCTION 16 1.1 Research questions 16 1.2 Positioning the dissertation 19 1.3 Methodology and structure of the dissertation 24 1.3.1 Literature review 24 1.3.2 Setting the framework for the case study 28 1.3.3 Case study 29 1.3.4 Structure of the dissertation 35 Section 1: Literature Review 37 Chapter Two DECONSTRUCTING GLOBALISATION: PLURALITY OF PROCESSES 38 2.1 Introduction 38 2.2 One world of the singularity syndrome 39 2.2.1 Singularity syndrome 40 2.2.2 Fallacies of the singularity syndrome 42 2.3 Plural worlds of the local-global interplay 46 2.3.1 Worlds in the definitions of globalisation 46 2.3.2 Worlds in the categories of globalisation literature 52 2.3.2.1 Hyperglobalisers 53 2.3.2.2 Sceptics 56 2.3.2.3 Transformationalists 59 2.3.2.4 What is new in globalisation? 61 2.3.2.5 Combining categories: Creating a text 63 2.3.2.6 Ideological categories in the globalisation literature 67 2.4 Concluding remarks: Revaluing the local for alternatives 69 3 Chapter Three DECONSTRUCTING GLOBALISATION: PLURALITY OF IMPACTS ON LOCALITIES 70 3.1 Introduction 70 3.2 Deconstructing the global flows 71 3.2.1. Human flows 72 3.2.2. Technology flows 74 3.2.3. Finance flows 75 3.2.4. Image flows 76 3.2.5. Idea flows 77 3.2.6. Commodity flows 78 3.2.7. Political implications 78 3.3 Deconstructing the impacts of globalisation on localities 82 3.3.1. Global cosmopolitan society 83 3.3.2. Regionalisation 84 3.3.3. Global cities 84 3.3.4. Inequalities 85 3.3.5. Transformation of urban economics and de-industrialisation 88 3.3.6. Questions of nation-state and local autonomy and competition between cities 89 3.3.7. Localisation 90 3.3.8. Governance and partnership 91 3.3.9. Built environment 92 3.3.10 Political implications 93 3.4 Deconstructing the global city hypothesis and understanding competition 93 3.4.1 Globalisation processes need bases 94 3.4.2 World / global city 97 3.4.3 Urban hierarchy 103 3.4.4 Competition between cities 105 3.4.5 Political implications 109 3.5 Impacts of globalisation on the built environment 113 3.6 Concluding remarks: Plurality of the impacts on localities 121 Chapter Four DECONSTRUCTING GLOBALISATION: LOCAL POLITICS AND PLANNING 124 4.1 Introduction 124 4.2 Actors of the global-local interplay 124 4.2.1 Global governance and international organisations 125 4.2.2 Multi-national companies 132 4.2.3 Nation-states 133 4.2.4 Local governments 135 4.2.5 Social movements and the civil society 143 4.2.6 Plurality of actors in the local political restructuring 146 4.3 Contradictory forces of the global-local interplay 148 4.4 Impacts of globalisation on planning 152 4 4.5 Concluding remarks: Globalisation of local politics 156 Section 1: Conclusion 159 Section 2: Setting the Framework for the Case Study 165 Chapter Five GLOBALISATION, INFORMATION SOCIETY AND HIGHER EDUCATION 168 5.1 Introduction 168 5.2 Knowledge and information in the global economy 169 5.3 Higher education and its institutions in an informational society 175 5.4 Globalisation of higher education 179 5.5 Government policies and projects for an informational society 182 5.6 Concluding remarks: Knowledge and the city 186 Chapter Six GLOBALISATION AND HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN ISTANBUL 188 6.1 Introduction 188 6.2 Higher education in Turkey 188 6.3 Foundation universities 194 6.4 Relating globalisation and foundation universities 196 6.4.1 Logical relations 196 6.4.2 Discursive relations 197 6.4.3 A political choice: privatisation 200 6.4.4 Specialised labour and thought programs 201 6.4.5 Location patterns of the foundation universities 207 6.5 Concluding remarks: Globalisation, Turkish higher education system and foundation universities 212 Chapter Seven LOCATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS 215 7.1 Introduction 215 7.2 Location of higher education institutions 215 7.2.1 Historical evidence 216 7.2.2 Contemporary evidence 221 7.2.3 Location criteria of higher education institutions 223 7.3 Impacts of higher education institutions on their localities 225 7.4 Concluding remarks: Higher education institutions in the city 229 Section 2: Conclusion 231 5 Section 3: Case Study 235 Chapter Eight AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CASE OF KOC UNIVERSITY 238 8.1 Introduction 238 8.2 State intervention: Land appropriations to the foundation universities 238 8.3 Koc University 241 8.4 Location of Koc University 248 8.4.1 Geographical location and natural values 248 8.4.2 Responsible authorities on the Koc University development land 250 8.4.3 Competition with Bogazici University 251 8.4.4 Land speculation 253 8.5 Influential factors during the decision-making process 254 8.5.1 Koc Holding 254 8.5.2 Media 255 8.5.3 Marketing and public perception 257 8.5.4 Organised civil society 260 8.5.5 Land rent 261 8.6 Koc Holding 262 8.7 Concluding remarks: State intervention and location motivations 264 Chapter Nine LAND APPROPRIATION TO THE KOC UNIVERSITY 268 9.1 Introduction 268 9.2 Central authorities and the initial permissions 272 9.3 Pressures on local authorities 275 9.4 Concluding remarks: The growth coalition 297 Chapter Ten CIVIL OPPOSITION AGAINST THE KOC UNIVERSITY 300 10.1 Introduction 300 10.2 Civil opposition against the Koc University 300 10.2.1 The first civil opposition: Press statement of Ekinci 301 10.2.2 Press statement of Green Belt Environment Vanguards 302 10.2.3 Istanbul University challenges 303 10.2.4 Koc University responds 304 10.2.5 Ekinci replies with a second press statement 306 10.2.6 A partnership attempt of a political movement 307 10.2.7 TEMA’s first and only declaration 311 10.2.8 A questionable expert report 312 10.3 Concluding remarks: Civil opposition and its motivations 314 6 Chapter Eleven LAWSUITS AGAINST THE KOC UNIVERSITY 316 11.1 Introduction 316 11.2 Lawsuits against the Koc University 316 11.2.1 IBSB’s lawsuit 316 11.2.2 Chamber of Architect’s lawsuit 317 11.2.3 Expert report 319 11.2.4 Defendant statements 322 11.2.5 Statement of the Scrutiny Judge 323 11.2.6 Appeal process 325 11.2.7 YOK takes its position 326 11.2.8 A public lawyer: Dervis Parlak 327 11.2.9 Scrutiny Judge insists 329 11.2.10 Council of State’s decision 332 11.2.11 Other objecting actors 333 11.2.12 “Not My Authority” 335 11.3 Concluding remarks: Regulation, de-regulation and re-regulation 337 Section 3: Conclusion 338 Chapter Twelve CONCLUSION 347 12.1 Introduction