Renovated areas with the practices of 'tactical urbanism' of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), i.e. spatial improvements with fast, low-cost and effective interventions in public spaces within the framework of sustainable urban development in Izmir will be opened to the public with two separate ceremonies at the Tersane district of İzmir on August 22, 2022, Monday at 18:00.
The work, carried out by UNDP with the financial support of the Government of Japan, in collaboration with the Municipality of Karşıyaka and the Japanese design firm Sotonoba, aims to improve the inert public spaces or public spaces with inefficient access in the city with innovative solutions and increase their potential.
This initiative, which aims to create an exemplary model that can be replicated at different scales and geographies, was implemented in two areas in the Tersane district of Karşıyaka. The Japanese design team Sotonoba, composed of spatial design experts, interpreted the analyzes made during site visits to the neighborhood, the existing structures of the spaces, and interviews with residents, and reflected their findings in the conceptual designs.
One of the interventions aims to find solutions to the housing and health problems of the stray cats, which are quite numerous in the area, and to create a pleasant space for the residents of the neighborhood; the other aims to reactivate a pocket park that has lost its green character and transform it into an interesting place for resting and socializing. The project supports Sustainable Development Goals 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), 12 (Responsible Production and Consumption), 13 (Climate Action), 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and 17 (Partnerships for Purpose).
"Public spaces are not only physical spaces, but also enable important interactions such as solidarity, socialization and co-creation. Gökçe Tuna, UNDP Turkey Acceleration Laboratory Discovery Manager, continued her words as follows, "Moving away from conventional methods and incorporating innovative practices into the planning and construction phases of these areas offers tangible opportunities for both communities and citizens in areas such as transparency, shared decision-making, and ensuring sustainability. We seek to make visible the benefits derived from our initiative and create exemplary models to spread throughout the country."
Today, more than half of the world's population lives in cities, and that share is estimated to reach 70 percent by 2050. Cities, which are evolving into increasingly complex systems, are key socially, economically and environmentally. Making cities, which are the centers of life, more inclusive, safe, durable and sustainable will be possible with the participation of local governments, all public institutions, civil society organizations and citizens.
"The rapid urbanization that began with the migration from east to west in the 1980s led to the formation of an unplanned and dense urban fabric in İzmir." Özlem Şenyol Kocaer, Head of the Urban Planning Department of Karşıyaka Municipality, continued, "Being involved in a public space transformation process that includes climate resilience, tactical urbanism and citizen participation in the Tersane neighborhood, where even the smallest public space in İzmir Karşıyaka is valuable, is very valuable for our community. We want to implement this initiative, which we implemented in quick and effective collaboration with UNDP Turkey, as an exemplary transformation model in other neighborhoods in the district that lack infrastructure."
With these tactical urbanization measures implemented with the participation of local citizens, it is expected that the existing functions of the public spaces in question will be strengthened and their utilization rate will increase. Once the monitoring and evaluation studies are completed, the interventions implemented in the areas in question will be turned into a model and applied and disseminated in other parts of Turkey, especially in Karşıyaka.
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