Ecosystem İzmir Program

Izmir is located in a diverse region stretching from pristine coasts to mountains over two thousand meters. Mediterranean monk seals, flamingos, ancient olive trees and many other species continue to live here together with humans. The olive of the Aegean and the chestnut tree of the northern forests can meet in a single valley in Izmir. With its maquis, natural forests, sea, wetlands and high mountains, Izmir represents several of Anatolia's ecosystem diversity within its own provincial borders.

On the other hand, Izmir is also the heart of the Turkish economy with its population of nearly 4.5 million, rapidly growing industry, trade volume, tourism and agriculture. The centuries-old port of İzmir has been the gateway of Anatolia and Asia to the world throughout history. İzmir is a world city that has shaped human civilizations throughout its 8,500-year history.

The main purpose of the Ecosystem Izmir Program is to sustain Izmir’s ecological richness and economy together -two main pillars that made Izmir a universal port city for centuries. Under this program, we take actions to grow the resilience of Izmir via maintaining and growing its outstanding ecosystem diversity.

The essence of this program is to eliminate the contrasting priorities of ecology and economy. This is achieved by integrating the design of urban and rural spaces of the province closely.

With this, we move the main focus of city planning from the city center to transition corridors and zones between urban areas and countryside. Instead of abandoning transition areas - subject to natural disasters and urban sprawl - to their fate, we consider them as starting points of mutual enhancement of ecology and economy. By establishing physical, economic and social ties between different layers of the city we aim to turn it into a resilient ecosystem.

Interventions of our the Ecosystem Izmir Program expands from the Bay of Izmir to rural areas, crossing from all urban layers of the city. Each intervention transforms spaces in selected pilot regions. 

Urban Basins of Izmir
Living Bay of Izmir
Mobility Islands
Ecological Corridors
Living Parks
Rural Basins of Izmir