Turkey’s “Universitization” Process in the Light of Spatial Planning Policies and Socio-Economic Situation of Cities

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The aim of this study is to reveal the location decision for the universities and their functional transformation in the light of changing spatial planning policies in different periods in Turkey. Functional transformation of universities has been effective in the location preference and some periods can be distinguished in aspect of Turkey’s “universitization” process. In order to analyze this process based on the related literature, Five-Year Development Plans of Turkish State Planning Organization, Higher Education Research in 1970, the study of Staging of Residential Centers in Turkey in 1980 and “Socio-Economic Development Classification of Cities and Regions” published in 1996 and 2003 were employed. This study suggests five different periods as a result of the classifications based on these works: The First Period, 1923-1950; Second Period, 1951-1987; Third Period, 1988-1994; Fourth Period, 1995-2008 and Fifth Period, post-2009. This paper focuses only on the state universities as public investments however the status of private/foundation universities in Turkey is referred where needed.

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Turkey , Universitization , Cities , Socio , economic Development , Spatial Planning

Aegean Geographical Journal

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Aegean Geographical Journal