Ankara seems insecure on identity and future
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Ankara, the capital of Turkey, finds itself in an authentic quandary. On the one hand, Ankara ranks number one in both "the index of habitability" and "the index of competitiveness." On the other hand, it faces a serious identity crisis.
According to those indices, Ankara is the most habitable city in Turkey; it comes first in the areas of competitiveness, economy and health while its ranking of second in the field of culture and arts may lead one to determine that the city is being governed well. Among the important reasons for Ankara being at the top of those indices are the human capital of the city and its successful performance in social capital variables.
However, Ankara is experiencing a serious identity crisis today. The capital of Turkey, the "model city" of Turkish modernism, the one that was built to act as a model to other Turkish cities, has neither a trace of that old identity today, nor a new one. The rapidly rising buildings and shopping malls are disconnecting people from the streets and the city, wide streets that were built to relieve transportation problems but are closed to pedestrians, underpasses, the disappearance of squares, the lack of the "old city" theme that every capital has, the limited tourism areas, they all paint a picture of an Ankara losing its identity.
There is a 15-year-old and worn out administration in Ankara. Today’s Ankara is faced with: a "water problem;" "air pollution problem;" "unemployment problem;" "unplanned urbanization problem that comes from corruption;" "identity problem of the city;" "problem of lack of green areas;" "Problem of the lack of old city points that enliven history and tradition." The city’s residents are insecure about its future.