Ecocity 2009: A Sustainable Future for Istanbul?
2010-01-14 from:treehugger author:Jesse Fox
Istanbul. Photo courtesy of Rosario Cuervo.
In the 1940's, remembered one of the speakers at the Ecocity World Summit this week, Istanbul was one of the winners of an international "beauty contest for cities," along with Rio de Janeiro.
This week, however, with Istanbul poised to assume the title of European Capital of Culture and expecting some ten million tourists next year, many wondered if the city's explosive growth and accelerating modernization are compatible with its beauty and potential for sustainability.
With so many urban planners and environmentalists in town this week for the Ecocity World Summit, it was only natural that the discussion turn to the host city - a massive and, in parts, overcrowded place, blessed with the remains of a long and dignified history, yet slow to deal with urban problems such as flooding and traffic.
Plenty of local planners and policy makers participated in the discussions, which Turkey's Minister of Environment and Forestry Dr. Veysel Eroglu kicked off with a long and impassioned speech describing his vision for a more ecological Istanbul and detailing some of the work being done by his ministry in areas such as afforestation, wastewater treatment and watershed protection.
A wintry Istanbul this week. Photo by Jesse Fox.