the turkish newspaper "radikal" on 21st february published a series of interview with artists, architects, planners, caricaturists, designers, and journalists. The interview consisted 4 questions in total. Who do you think will be the new mayor of istanbul? who you would like to see as the mayor of istanbul? if you would have the chance to choose 5 names, who would you select for developing an advisory council for the municipality and why? can you give any projects for the city of istanbul?
the newspaper asked the basic questions when no one can answer them during the campaigns for istanbul. Unfortunately none of the candidates are capable of giving a self critic for the positives and negatives of the city, and none of them are giving a speech for how do they see the future of the city. the citizens are tired of listening the daily chaos of the elections, parties, debates, accusations, new trials, new cases and etc. that's why i appreciate the work of the radikal newspaper and translate to here just some very catchy answers for you all to discuss and dream for even more...
here the selection of names and the answers below:
Gorgun Taner (IKSV general director)
3. Murat Belge, Melih Fereli, Akin Ongor, Kemal Dervis, Han Tumertekin. I chose these people out of the names who has the vision to develop the future 20 years of Istanbul, knows how to protect the cultural heritage and sustain them for the future.
4. To transform the galataport area for the culture and art valley and open it for the public use.
Halil Ergun (Actor)
3. As served to municipalities before I should tell that this job is very hard. But the best person to do it would be the person who lives in the city. The advisory board should be from the locals in my opinion, the true wisdom comes from the locals/inhabitants.
4. In Istanbul there are too many empty plots. Before the construction cannibals fill in the spaces, they should be organized as culture and art facility areas. They should be open to the public, and by participation the cultural activities should be taking places at. In cities the barbarian living styles should not find any place and Istanbul should be a city of culture and art.
Tan Morgul (Former editor of Istanbul Journal, journalist)
2. Since they say “Istanbul is a world (wide) city” then the most important player means the mayor can easily be import from abroad. I think this should be… My suggestion is starting from Brasil and today globally known figure the former mayor to implement participatory-transparent-democratic model in Porto Alegre, Tarso Genro. The reasons are clear, firstly he is a real local governor, neither a businessman or transferred from the parliament. He is out of the desadvantages of being from here as well as he has many advantages of not being from here. He wouldn’t have any relations with either the political or economical rates. Already, due to his governing structure, the decision making mechanism would be all the time the public, the job he needs to do is only to easier the system/procedure. It would be what needs to be done.
3. Another smart example continues with Cordoba, Spain. Over years the council who implements and governs the city’s water system, including political party representatives, organizations, academicians and ngo councils, with no municipal authority to take part and this council should be the practical advisory council. Tardo Genro is already aware of the system too. On the other hand there should be an ethical council. These people should represent both the city and the citizens as well as the testing council of the governing figures. They should be “old minded” since when the subject is the city those old minded society are much effective in teaching to those “new minded”onesin terms of conscious, ethics, and digestion. For example Ilhan Tekeli, Ugur Tanyeli, Murat Belge, Aydin Boysan, Haluk Gercek, etc. But there should be more and they should be changeable and this council should have no right to be dismissed.
4. I can say not one but more, and even if someone is curious I can give details.
a. At the bosphorus a horizontal, and at the bosphorus waterfronts should be integrated into transportation system vertically.first one is sea transportation and the second one is rail trasnporation. From Eminonu to Sariyer, From Kadikoy to Beykoz the sea transportation should be possible. From the main node ports towards the inner city locations the transportation should be done via metro systems. Even exacurated at the waterfront traffic, there should be a private car limitation. To talk about a third bridge over the bostphorus should be prohibited.
b. a special attention and projection should be given on our “short temper” which converts the city to a clicking bomb. Especially the public spaces such as public transportation, city squares and etc. there should be publicly watched or listened funny/comic projects presented in order to absorb the anger of the society. The Arzu Film tradition, “Hababam Sinifi” or “Neseli Gunler” should be screened at all the public transportation vehicles. Streets should become safer and accessible for elderly generation, kids, women, animals and all the others. It is sure that with all those people who are the thresholds of our tolerance and resistance, we would much become a human being. Otherwise it is clear how we now do look like whilst being alone with ourselves as adults.
c. An international public university in the fields of “city governance”should be developed for undergraduate and graduate studies at the Halic Shipyards location. From all over the world the examples of “local governance” should be collected, to be thought and learned. This would lead the shipyard location to be upgrade, so as the upgraded would upgrade. Since the future will become the world of cities, it is better off to the subject from now. All the rights are open to public and any local governor can use them unless making a rate out of it.
Bihter Ayda Pekin (Jewellery Designer)
3. First names that I can imagine are Ilber Ortayli, Burhan Dogancay, Murat Belge, Betul Mardin,. Cetin Altan, Oktay Ekinci because they proved how much they concern.
4. Implementation of the current Istanbul Master Plan should be done and for controlling the implementation if needed some teams could be transformed, and the current departments should be strengthened. There should be limitations for the advertisement panels. Sea transportation should be state owned again and the planning should be redone. The transportation within the bosphorus should be limited at the both sides on the highways that are on hold with a lot of buses and instead should be mostly done via sea route. The symbols of the bosphorus the “vapur”s should not be diminished. The classes for some few private schools about the environmental conscious should be a must in all the primary schools. Recycling tanks for especially liquid oil, batteries and all the recyclables should be fixed at houses or businesses. Bicycle/motorcycle routes should be implemented.
Erhan Demirdizen (Urban Planner, Istanbul Chamber of Urban Planners Director)
1. Still there are 40 days nearly for the elections and I don’t know how the candidates will use this period, but it looks like unfortunately the results of the elections will not have a close relationship between the Istanbul’s problems and the quality of solution proposals of the candidates, this is pity. The discussions unfortunately overlays this. In this manner I cannot make an objective critic currently.
2. The transportation and the economic problems of Istanbul grow rapidly. We should also add the earthquake and unplanned developments to those. All these problems as a whole should be studied within a correct urban planning approach, without using or loosing the natural or governmental reserves by the Istanbul metropolitan municipality. While doing this unnecessary rapid movements should be far away since they have the capacity to decrease the quality of the already done work. Thus, besides looking at Istanbul’s problems from a distance, the mayor should have the characteristics of asking and proposing solutions with the experts. As a mayor, it is very important to bring the municipality into an institutionalized position. This is the mayor I would like to have.
So who can say we as citizens are not related to the city and not concerned about the problems or not thinking or creating solutions as where all the local power starts. Today, Istanbul is facing a historical moment I believe, due to the elections at the door, but moreover due to its athmosphere that opened up the doors of discussions democratically. Personally I dont expect a change in the voting polls but I do expect more respect, more open platforms for THE citizens and a better debates, where participation takes more place in decision making and where todays utopic seen projects could create a base on the table fr a future of Istanbul.
