Examination of Local Plan Changes from a Value Capture Perspective: Istanbul Case

Local governments have an increasing tendency to capture the value increase occurring as a result of partial interventions into local plans. The basic acceptance behind this is that value definitely will increase as a result of partial interventions. However, all partial interventions always cannot lead to an increase in value. There can be also partial interventions in which the value does not change or even decreases. The aim of this study is to identify the value capture capacity of local plan changes as partial interventions, and to discuss this capacity in terms of the balance between betterment and compensation. Istanbul, which is one of the cities where the effects of neo-liberal policies are most intense and where local plan changes are common, was chosen as the study area. In the first stage of the study, the spatial distributions of 17,369 plan changes approved by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Council between 2009–2018 were examined. In the second stage, the value capture capacities of the plan changes grouped by subject, were determined by interviewing 46 people working in different areas of the planning discipline. The findings of the study demonstrate that although the plan changes are spread throughout the metropolitan area, they are concentrated in the central and secondary central districts where the accessibility value is high. The interviewees emphasized that the plan changes made as a result of private-sector demand and the plan change for the improvement of the infrastructure increase the value of the land and that the plan changes within this scope have value capture capacities. On the other hand, according to the findings of the study, some plan changes reduce the value of the land because of restricting the property rights on the land. Plan changes in this group are needed to be compensated fairly and equitably. Thus, the balance between betterment and compensation would be achieved.