Ecosystem layers of İzmir

While preparing our city's strategy for living in harmony with nature, the Climate Action Plan the Green City Action Plan, we brought together all the theories experiences accumulated on the subject in Turkey in the world.

As a result of the studies, we have identified four basic steps that serve this strategy:

The first of these is the ability of nature to penetrate the city. The cities we live in; With its buildings, parks, streams even road routes, it has the potential to be a habitat for many other living beings. However, the decisions we make prevent the natural plant animal species, water other natural assets around the city from penetrating into the city. In İzmir, we do the opposite implement a comprehensive work plan regarding the penetration of nature into the city.

For example, with our “natural green” project, we are now starting to use the natural flora of the Mediterranean the İzmir Region, instead of exotic plant species, in the green areas of the city. By planting natural flora in parks gardens, we draw the living creatures in our region into the city ensure that the green spaces in the city function as ecosystems. Starting from 2021, tree species planted in İzmir will gradually be transformed into completely natural plant species.

By connecting our parks to each other the rural areas surrounding the city with the five ecological corridors we have determined, we accelerate the penetration of nature into the city. The Flamingo Nature Park in Mavişehir, which we started to build with this principle, is a unique recreation area we can see the bird species of the Gediz Delta in the city.

Our second application title is to manage people's influence on nature. In other words, to ensure that people living in our city have access to rural areas in a way that does not disturb the natural balance does not harm them. Our work to establish 35 Living Parks on the periphery of Izmir is one of the most important examples of this. Living parks combine three forms of use that are normally maintained separately from each other: They protect the ecosystem, include agricultural activities meet the green space needs of our citizens.

In İzmir, we also carry out rural basin planning with a very unique approach. We are designing which activities how to allow permission in rural areas with zoning plans, within the rural basin planning process of İzmir. Rural tourism is one of the important parts of this study. The basis of these works is the İzmir Nature Atlas project, which we started with Hacettepe University in 2022.

Our third topic is our work on the circular economy in Izmir. Undoubtedly, one of the most important ways to establish the link between the city the countryside is to strengthen the economic links. We strive to strengthen the circular economy of İzmir by fighting drought poverty at the same time with İzmir Agriculture. In recent years, the negative effects of the climate crisis have become felt in every moment of life created a serious drought threat. On the other hand, poverty has deepened with the pandemic. İzmir Agriculture, which we describe as "Another Agriculture", offers concrete solutions to combat these two problems is building a circular agricultural economy for the first time in Turkey.

In another pillar of the circular economy, we carry out decomposition studies at the zero point with the IzTransformation program. We consider garbage not as a waste, but as an economic resource.

Our last application title is our goal to strengthen the cultural connections between the rural area the metropolitan area in İzmir. We discuss these studies under the headings of Harmony with Each Other Harmony with Our Past below.