In Kocaeli, where the earthquake caused extensive destruction and loss of life, investments have been made in construction, transportation, industry, technology and social infrastructure since the disaster.
Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tahir Büyükakın said more than half of the city’s building stock had been improved since August 17, 1999. Büyükakın said that, when the work carried out by TOKİ and the Metropolitan Municipality was assessed together, nearly 30,000 homes had been renewed.
Fourteen priority areas identified for urban transformation
Büyükakın said there were approximately 160,000 buildings constructed before the earthquake that were still standing. He noted that not all of these buildings were risky and said work was being conducted with the Chamber of Civil Engineers and universities to determine their risk status.
Büyükakın said renewal areas had been prioritized following the assessments and announced that 14 priority areas had been identified in seven districts. He said broad agreement had been reached during preliminary talks in 10 transformation areas across five districts.
Büyükakın said an agreement had been reached with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change on renewing approximately 5,000 homes. He added that agreements had been reached with the occupants of 3,000 of these homes and that work was continuing in the other areas.
Kocaeli’s social and environmental transformation
Büyükakın said major investments had been made in the city following the earthquake and that Kocaeli had become one of the centers hosting national and international events. He said they aimed to increase the number of events while creating new venues for a city that remains active around the clock.
Büyükakın said they were working to change the negative environmental perception of Kocaeli, which is known for its industrial identity. He noted that barriers restricting people’s access to the sea along the Gulf of İzmit had been removed and recreational services along the coast had been expanded.
Büyükakın said the amount of green space per person in the city had risen from 0.5 square meters approximately 20 years ago to 13.5 square meters today, adding that this level was approaching European and global standards. He said the work carried out had revitalized the sea and the environment.
Investments in industry, information technology and culture
Büyükakın said Kocaeli alone now accounted for the 36 billion dollars in exports that Türkiye had recorded in the early 2000s. He said the city’s production capacity had been preserved while its green spaces were expanded and the areas around the sea were improved.
Büyükakın said Kocaeli was progressing toward becoming a livable city by developing not only cleaner, environmentally compatible industry but also information technology, arts, culture and sports. He said some initiatives in the city had inspired cities abroad and noted that they aimed for Kocaeli to become a city where people would be proud to live and could easily access social opportunities in the future.
