İstanbul has been the center of attraction of the world since its foundation and one of the cities home to the most people in the world. İstanbul's population is a product of both migration and the number of births. The same still applies today. An analysis of the difference between its fixed population size and the varying number of inhabitants in the city reveals that the city attracts migrants not only from Turkish cities but also from nearby countries, including those in the Balkans and the Middle East. Recently, greater numbers of Africans have shown interest in permanently residing in İstanbul. The frequent number of deportations and illegal migration confirm this argument.What makes İstanbul a center of attraction includes a number of factors, including its historical value and natural beauty. Its position as a bridge between continents as well as its economic potential should also be mentioned in this regard. Even though İstanbul has suffered from some economic backlashes and setbacks, the city has mostly served as a catalyst for its surroundings and all of Turkey. It remains as a huge and important economic center.
Recent history and the city's past show that İstanbul has consolidated its economic superiority since the 1980s; the city has become the center of international investment and monetary flow since and focused on a service economy. During this period, it has appeared as an economic actor with a strong presence in the national economy. Even though the city suffers from very large income disparity, İstanbul has been home to great economic wealth over the last three decades.
This new situation has also brought partition and differentiation because of additional factors. It could be argued that the difference between the increase in population density in one physical area and social disparity constitute the greatest paradox of the city. Social polarization in the same area prevents the formation of a common urban identity and this causes a general deterioration in the quality of life. In İstanbul, which turned into a mega city as a result of large waves of migration, it is not possible to speak of a single urban identity. Despite the diversity in lifestyle and education levels as well as incomes, people living in this great city should all be called İstanbulites regardless of what part of the city they reside in.
This shows that the primary social ties are now more important in parallel with the growth of the city. The primary ties, referring to ethnicity or religious affiliation, offer great hardships for the creation of a supra identity, which requires a common denominator between people. The state of partition caused by postmodern trends in the world also poses obstacles to the integration of ordinary people in the city.
The İstanbulite identity requires the acceptance of a least common denominator that will make coexistence possible. In the past, the neighborhood was an important factor to generate a culture unique to İstanbul. This was of course something beyond family ties, which became important as a result of migratory trends. Because of modernization policies imposed via centrist and imposed orders since the 1950s, İstanbul has lost its identity and awareness as well as its city culture.
During the Ottoman era, the peripheral identity and culture were conveyed to the city. This used to nurture and foster the city's culture. At the same time, the city used to contribute to the emergence of a fairly refined and elegant culture. In the past, the neighborhood used to serve as a filter. Now, units that were created in place of the neighborhood fail to do the same. Depending on the level of low income, slum houses fail to do this job, turning city life into an unhealthy formation.
