Questioning hospital geographies in Turkey with the introduction of City Hospitals
Public hospitals in Turkey have undergone extreme change since the 2010s through the introduction of City Hospitals, large-scale urban (re)development projects. The reordering of hospitals prompts changes in the core and peripheries of urban areas. Such transformation is marked by the implosion of new hospital structures, while pre-existing multi-site public hospitals in central urban areas are being downsized, reconfigured, or closed. This shift has led to conflicting spatial dynamics as the geography of hospitals changes.
Based on empirical research, this work from Deniz Kimyon, Associate with Géographie-cités, delves into the spatial fix by the hospital, contending that theoretical frameworks surrounding spatial fix provide valuable insights into contemporary urban processes. It critically questions the dynamics of the social infrastructure reproduction process, analyzing changes in spatial practices, and the stimulation of new rounds of capital accumulation. To do so, it investigates the multi-scale transformation of healthcare infrastructure taking place at various levels of operation.
Articulations through the CH projects (Author, 2025; for details, visit: https://graphcommons.com/graphs/efdd79b0-329a-41dd-8435-a582a3f08130 )
“Fig. 10 analyzes data from project surveys, company activities, media surveys, and documentary research. It presents a network analysis of capitalist involvement and capital flow in the construction of CHs, highlighting key relationships involving construction, contracting, cooperations, loans, and guarantees. This analysis emphasizes the connections among various key entities: i) the state, represented by the Ministry of Health as a central actor; ii) construction companies; and iii) financial stakeholders, including international credit institutions and lending banks. Although the figure does not include many subcontractors, such as design firms and medical service providers, it offers a broader overview of capital flows and accumulation driven by hospital construction. Additionally, the companies depicted in the figure participate in large-scale urban projects such as housing developments, office buildings, and infrastructure initiatives (Kimyon, 2020).“
Deniz Kimyon. SPATIAL FIX THROUGH HOSPITALS: Questioning hospital geographies in Turkey with the introduction of City Hospitals. 2025. ⟨hal-05038746⟩
