Impacts of Seaplanes and Seaports on the Perception and Conception of the Modern City: The Case of Istanbul

This article focuses on the waterscape of Istanbul, uncovering an episode in the city’s urban history based on this main geographic characteristic. It studies the novel civil seaplane transportation technologies of the 1920s and 1930s, analyzing their actual and possible impacts on the city. These planes provided not only a rapid link between the city and Europe but also a new vantage point for the perception of its natural and built environment. The aircraft were also planned to play innovative roles in the conception of the urban structure of a modern city as well as in the envisioned international events.