Istanbul’s green space disappearing
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Milliyet
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Haziran 23, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Istanbul, Turkey’s window to Europe, has witnessed so much unplanned urbanization that one might actually be able to count the number of trees in the city. According to environmental experts, the ratio of green spaces to population is well below European standards.
Istanbul has fallen victim to out-of-control development. The metropolis is one of concrete and in some districts it is hard to spot a tree, let alone a park.
Erhan Demirdizen, the Istanbul branch president for the Ministry of Public Works and Settlement, set up after the 1999 earthquake, said the ratio of green spaces in the city should be at least 10 square meters per person, while people in most European cities had 20 square meters. According to Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, the green area ratio per person in Istanbul is only is 6.4 square meters.
When viewed from a vantage point, the sparse number of trees scattered between the thousands of buildings can almost be counted. The few areas of greenery in the city are mostly military zones, palace gardens, historical sites, cemeteries and mausoleum areas.
’Nowhere to escape during an earthquake’
Demirdizen said green areas in a city were very important for aesthetic reasons, preventing air pollution, softening the climate and creating a habitable environment.
The chamber president spoke about how Istanbul needed to be saved from becoming one big block of concrete. "According to international standards, there should be at least one park, or green area, within walking distance from anywhere in an area with a 700- to 800-meter radius. Forests outside of the city and open areas at crossroads are not useable areas. Besides, in a city susceptible to earthquakes, people need open spaces they can go to in a time of danger. But such areas do not exist in many places".
Kerem Ateş, the general secretariat for the Turkish Environmental and Woodlands Protection Society, or TÜRÇEK, said green areas in Istanbul were being marked for construction through rapid zoning changes in recent years. "The green spaces of Istanbul are about to become extinct. Istanbul is practically being left without oxygen. There is a great effect from the lack of trees and uncontrolled urbanization in these sub-Saharan temperatures experienced in summer."
Officials from Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality said the amount of green areas per person in Istanbul was 6.4 square meters, which includes the green areas at roadsides and crossroads and are described as passive. Municipality officials said the average rate for the rest of the world was seven square meters and 10 for the European Union. They have said the city’s goal is to increase the ratio for Istanbul in line with the rest of Europe.
According to assistant professor Yıldız Aksoy from Bahçeşehir University’s Department of Architecture, Istanbul is behind many cities for its lack of parks and open spaces. Some humbling comparisons to Istanbul’s 6.4 square meters of parkland per person are: Amsterdam with 45.5 square meters, Rome with 45.3 square meters, Stockholm 87.5 square meters, New York 29 square meters and London with 27 square meters per person.
Erhan Demirdizen, the Istanbul branch president for the Ministry of Public Works and Settlement, set up after the 1999 earthquake, said the ratio of green spaces in the city should be at least 10 square meters per person, while people in most European cities had 20 square meters. According to Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, the green area ratio per person in Istanbul is only is 6.4 square meters.
When viewed from a vantage point, the sparse number of trees scattered between the thousands of buildings can almost be counted. The few areas of greenery in the city are mostly military zones, palace gardens, historical sites, cemeteries and mausoleum areas.
’Nowhere to escape during an earthquake’
Demirdizen said green areas in a city were very important for aesthetic reasons, preventing air pollution, softening the climate and creating a habitable environment.
The chamber president spoke about how Istanbul needed to be saved from becoming one big block of concrete. "According to international standards, there should be at least one park, or green area, within walking distance from anywhere in an area with a 700- to 800-meter radius. Forests outside of the city and open areas at crossroads are not useable areas. Besides, in a city susceptible to earthquakes, people need open spaces they can go to in a time of danger. But such areas do not exist in many places".
Kerem Ateş, the general secretariat for the Turkish Environmental and Woodlands Protection Society, or TÜRÇEK, said green areas in Istanbul were being marked for construction through rapid zoning changes in recent years. "The green spaces of Istanbul are about to become extinct. Istanbul is practically being left without oxygen. There is a great effect from the lack of trees and uncontrolled urbanization in these sub-Saharan temperatures experienced in summer."
Officials from Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality said the amount of green areas per person in Istanbul was 6.4 square meters, which includes the green areas at roadsides and crossroads and are described as passive. Municipality officials said the average rate for the rest of the world was seven square meters and 10 for the European Union. They have said the city’s goal is to increase the ratio for Istanbul in line with the rest of Europe.
According to assistant professor Yıldız Aksoy from Bahçeşehir University’s Department of Architecture, Istanbul is behind many cities for its lack of parks and open spaces. Some humbling comparisons to Istanbul’s 6.4 square meters of parkland per person are: Amsterdam with 45.5 square meters, Rome with 45.3 square meters, Stockholm 87.5 square meters, New York 29 square meters and London with 27 square meters per person.