WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF CITIES?

Recommendations • Read the questions carefully before you start writing. Do not rush your writing or submission. • Organize your ideas first and come up with an outline. This will help you to develop coherent and clear arguments. • Make sure you read each of your answers carefully before you submit your exam. • Your ideas are important and valuable. But remember that this is an exam. Make sure you support your ideas with the readings and lecture material. Grading Criteria I will focus on the following areas when grading the take-home exam: Organization: Answers have a logical structure, with each point connected to the previous and following points; the writer shapes the response around the main argument that answers the question. Development: Support arguments with persuasive reasoning and well-chosen references; there is an appropriate balance between providing evidence and analyzing that evidence. Clarity: Express ideas clearly. Avoid very long and complex sentences. Citation: Cite words and ideas borrowed from other sources. MAKE SURE YOU STAY WITHIN THE WORD LIMITS: FOR QUESTION 1 AND FOR QUESTION 2 YOU SHOULD WRITE 500 TO 700 WORDS. HOW MUCH YOU WRITE FOR EACH SUBQUESTION IS UP TO YOU. THIS MEANS, YOUR SUBMISSION SHOULD BE MIN 1000 WORDS AND MAX 1500 WORDS. Make sure you write down the number of the question and the subquestion you answer as you write. 2 Question 1) King (1989) in his “Colonialism, urbanism and the capitalist world economy” article suggests that: “Contemporary urban hierarchies and patterns of urbanization have largely resulted from colonial rule (…) Problems of economy; polity and society all manifest ethnic, cultural and racial dimensions rooted in their colonial and imperial past.” a. Explain this statement. What is the relationship between colonialism and urbanization? (10 points) b. What does the term ‘urban hierarchies mean? Explain it by going through the ‘global city concept and contrasting it with the idea of ‘ordinary cities. How does Robinson (2006) challenge the idea of urban hierarchies by using the concept of “ordinary cities”? (Reader, pages 66-71). (10 points). c. Contrast the general patterns of urbanization in ‘developed (former colonial powers) and ‘developing (formerly colonized) countries. Please support your arguments with concepts, theories, and case studies presented in readings. Hint: Go through the idea of ‘dependent urbanization in colonies. (10 points) d. Why is it important to understand the colonial history of cities? Support your argument by using cases we discussed in class as examples. (10 points) e. Remember our discussion on “Every label has its problems” and the reading “If you shouldnt call it the Third World, what should you call it”. Why does it matter which terms are used for different parts of the world? (10 points) 3 Question 2) The documentary we watched in class, Ekumenopolis: The City Without Limits, consists of seven chapters: An Istanbul Story; Global City; The Dynamics of the System; Third Bridge; (Anti) Social Housing Model; Plan, Capital, Democracy; and Neighborhood. Please answer the following questions based on Ekumenopolis. a. Based on your reading of Sassens article (Week 4) on the global city, discuss the process of Istanbuls transformation into a global city. What are the implications of this transformation? (12.5 points) b. Construction of the Third Bridge is a controversial endeavor for Istanbul. Evaluate the planning process of the Third Bridge as a megaproject. Make sure you support your arguments with Flyvbjergs article (Week 4) on megaprojects. (12.5 points) c. Why do you think the producers of the documentary refer to Istanbuls housing policy as Anti-Social Housing Model? What is anti-social about it? You can also support your points with Kuyucu and Unsal (2010) article on urban transformation projects in Istanbul. (12.5 points) d. According to the documentary, what is the conflict between ‘plan, capital and democracy? Do you agree or disagree with their framing? Explain why you agree or disagree. (12.5 points) Reminder: You can access the documentary online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maEcPKBXV0M Make sure you turn on the English subtitles by clicking on the “CC” box on the lower right corner of the video