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Urban transformation efforts in Istanbul are progressing at a substantial scale to address Türkiye’s critical earthquake risk and to enhance the city’s resilience against natural disasters. The Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change, in partnership with private sector stakeholders, has completed the transformation of 924,943 independent housing units across Istanbul, while construction and project work continues on an additional 263,895 units.
Türkiye’s location within a high seismic activity zone places Istanbul at exceptional risk, particularly due to its dense population of 16 million. More than 1.5 million independent housing units in the city are identified as structurally risky, underscoring urban transformation as a priority with direct national security implications. This scale of vulnerability requires urgent, coordinated action.
Urban transformation extends beyond traditional construction. It constitutes a comprehensive strategy that includes upgrading building safety standards, increasing green spaces to improve urban ecology, integrating smart city technologies to enhance infrastructure management, and reinforcing social structures and utilities within neighborhoods. This multifaceted approach reflects a modern, risk-informed urban policy framework aimed at sustainable development.
Among the key initiatives is the “Half from Us” campaign, which currently supports the project development and construction processes for 78,000 independent units. The campaign leverages government-backed construction subsidies to accelerate progress. In addition, reserved construction zones have been allocated strategically to facilitate rapid and regulated urban renewal, ensuring orderly development across Istanbul’s 39 districts.
Since 2012, transformation projects have been active in 427 designated zones within Istanbul. The Urban Transformation Department has successfully delivered 49,214 independent units on a turnkey basis, providing fully completed housing ready for occupancy. Meanwhile, 125,437 units are in the project and design stages, and 47,617 units are under active construction. Altogether, 173,054 independent units are in ongoing transformation phases.
These efforts reflect the strategic priority Istanbul holds for Türkiye’s urban safety and development. The city’s urban renewal not only affects local communities but also shapes the broader national security landscape. The extensive scale of risky housing units reinforces the urgency and complexity of the project.
Effective transformation requires strong coordination among multiple stakeholders. Public institutions, metropolitan municipalities, universities, academic researchers, and technology companies collaborate closely to drive innovation, optimize resource use, and ensure quality delivery. Conferences such as “Kentfest 2025” facilitate the exchange of ideas, academic contributions, and policy alignment, enhancing the transformation ecosystem.
Kentfest, organized annually by the Urban Transformation and Urbanization Foundation, aims to stimulate momentum in urban development similar to the impact Teknofest has had on Türkiye’s defense industry. Teknofest significantly boosted technological innovation and industry capacity, and Kentfest seeks to replicate this effect within the urban planning and climate adaptation fields.
A vital component of Kentfest is its design and urban planning competitions, which involve five universities. These competitions integrate academic expertise and student innovation into the national urban transformation vision, ensuring fresh perspectives and technical rigor in policy and project development.
Urban transformation is increasingly recognized as a social and economic challenge as much as a technical one. Türkiye requires a coordinated housing policy with a long-term horizon. A comprehensive 10-year housing policy is necessary, addressing critical elements such as financing mechanisms, land use strategies, and production models. The proposed Türkiye Housing Policy Platform intends to provide this structured framework, guiding sustainable and equitable housing development.
