In the 1960s, many governments expanded their urban planning systems to strengthen the powers of historic built environment conservation. The major innovation was the designation of Conservation Areas (CAs) in which redevelopment is minimized and public-private investments are mobilized to renovate old buildings.

However, while these areas were dilapidated and inhabited by the urban poor, they were located on highly valuable land. The resulting development pressures lead to gentrification and redevelopment for government-funded infrastructure projects, such as road construction.

This book provides a unique and systematic international comparative analysis of conservation planning over two decades in London and Istanbul. The strengths and weaknesses of the two national systems are revealed through an analysis of their legal and policy frameworks and a case study of implementation in Covent Garden and Beyoglu.

This demonstrates that London’s relative success is due to a much stronger urban planning system. This book will be valuable for scholars, professionals, and students. It is a major contribution to the history of urban conservation, which is highly relevant to contemporary debates on "conservation versus development."