Studentification as a New Form of Gentrification: Changing Neighborhood Dynamics in Bosna Hersek Neighborhood (Konya)

The effects of studentification on neighborhoods are similar to those of the traditional gentrification processes: The concentration of students in a certain locality increases housing prices and transforms the socio-cultural base of the neighborhood in accordance with the preferences and needs of newcomers (university students). The neighborhood pattern that emerged following the studentification process in Bosna Hersek, a neighborhood located adjacent to Selçuk University –the second-largest university in Turkey by enrollment, was similar to many other gentrified areas: real estate values rose, the residential and commercial structure of the neighborhood has been reshaped according to the needs of the newcomers, the neighborhood has become dominated by a single social group (university students), and the incumbent population is being displaced socio-culturally (indirect displacement), if not physically (direct displacement). In this neighborhood, where students and non-students often live parallel lives that do not intersect with each other, the areas where these 2 groups do intersect have the potential to generate new lines of tension. As observed in many examples elsewhere in the world, topics such as noise, anti-social behaviors, and student lifestyle lay at the center of tensions between these 2 groups. Yet, students who were seen as unwelcome outsiders in the eyes of the incumbent residents in the early stages of studentification, have begun to be seen as preferred outsiders in the later stages, once the students gained numerical supremacy and their contributions to the economy of the neighborhood became perceptible by the incumbents. Bosna Hersek has transformed into a “student ghetto,” where the segregation between students and non-students and the numerical and cultural domination of the former group is easily observed. This new studentification-led form of segregation currently constitutes the main wave of gentrification in the Anatolian cities of Turkey.

Yeni Bir Soylulaþtýrma Formu Olarak Öðrencileþtirme (Studentification): Bosna-Hersek Mahallesi’nde (Konya) Deðiþen Mahalle Ýçi Dinamikler

Öðrencileþtirme, gerçekleþtiði mahalleler üzerinde geleneksel soylulaþtýrma süreçlerinin etkilerine benzer etkiler býrakýr: öðrencilerin belli bir yerde yoðunlaþmasý konut fiyatlarýný yukarý çeker ve mahallenin sosyo-kültürel tabanýný sonradan gelenlerin (öðrenci) tercihleri ve ihtiyaçlarý doðrultusunda yeniden dönüþtürür. Türkiye’de en fazla öðrenci sayýsýna sahip ikinci üniversite olan Selçuk Üniversitesi’nin hemen yaný baþýnda konumlanmýþ olan Bosna Hersek Mahallesi’nde de öðrencileþtirme sonrasý ortaya çýkan mahalle örüntüsü, bir çok soylulaþmýþ alanla benzer özellikler taþýmaktadýr: gayrimenkul deðerleri yükselmiþ, mahallenin konut ve ticari yapýsý sonradan gelenlerin ihtiyaçlarý merkeze alýnarak yeniden þekillenmiþ, mahalle tek bir sosyal grubun (öðrenciler) egemenliði altýna girmiþ ve ilk sakinler fiziksel olarak (doðrudan) olmasa da, sosyo-kültürel olarak (dolaylý) yerinden edilmiþtir. Öðrencilerin ve öðrenci olmayanlarýn çoðu zaman birbirleriyle kesiþmeyen ‘paralel hayatlar’ yaþadýðý mahallede, bu iki grubun karþýlaþtýðý alanlar yeni gerilim hatlarýnýn oluþmasýna zemin hazýrlar. Ýki grup arasýnda yaþanan gerilimin merkezinde, yurt dýþýnda bir çok örnekte de gözlemlendiði gibi, gürültü, anti-sosyal davranýþlar ve öðrenci yaþam tarzý kaynaklý konular yer alýr. Öðrencileþtirmenin ilk aþamalarýnda mahalle sakinlerinin gözünde ‘istenmeyen yabancý’ konumunda olan öðrenciler, zaman içinde sayýsal üstünlüðü ele geçirmeleri ve mahalleye saðladýklarý ekonomik katkýlarýn hissedilir olmaya baþlamasýyla birlikte tercih edilen yabancýlar olarak görülmeye baþlanmýþtýr. Bosna Hersek, öðrenci olanlar ve olmayanlar arasýndaki ayrýþmanýn ve öðrencilerin sayýsal ve kültürel egemenliðinin kolayca okunabildiði bir ‘öðrenci gettosuna’ dönüþmüþtür. Öðrencileþtirme merkezli oluþan bu yeni ayrýþma formu, ayný zamanda, Anadolu kentlerinde gerçekleþen soylulaþtýrmanýn ana dalgasýný oluþturmaktadýr.