Satellites capture Istanbul’s ‘gray’ transformation in past decade

A comparison of 20 satellite photos hosted by Google Earth reveals how Istanbul has changed with more concrete and less green spaces in the past decade.

As the ongoing construction boom continues with controversial development projects that have angered locals and environmentalists, Mutlu Kent, an urban blog, compiled the satellite photos of Istanbul to show the appearance of various sites today and 10 years ago.

Yaşar Adnan Adanalı, a Turkish Ph. D candidate at Berlin Technical University’s International Urban Institute, said in his blog post on Oct. 29 that “all empty spaces in Istanbul are now being filled” by this transformation. 

“The construction contractors are mobilized to fill all of the empty spaces that should be protected in order to build lucrative shopping mall, residence and hotel projects. The governing mentality is also mobilized to ‘put its sign on the city’ and to conquer it,” Adanalı said.

Here are the satellite photos, first published on Mutlu Kent, now presented by Hürriyet Daily News with an interface that enables an interactive comparison:

1) Deforestation on Istanbul’s European side to make way for the roads of the politically-charged third bridge over the Bosphorus.

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