Page 140 - Çevre Şehir İklim İngilizce - Sayı 2

The Resilient City Of The Future:
Esenler Nar Innovation District

Esenler is currently situated in an area of 740ha, and its total population is
about half a million. Its average household size is 5.2 people, who reside on
average on 100m2. The population density is 70.000 people/km. The density
per km2 is much higher than its neighboring cities, for example the density
of Sultangazi is 12.056 people/km, Bayrampaşa (28.652), Bağcılar (32.769),
Gaziosmanpaşa (39.769) and Güngören (44.427). 49% of the population of
Esenler is women, and 51% is men. 43% of the population is between 0-24,
and 57% is between 25-59 ages old. 68% of its residents are primary and
secondary school graduates, while 10% of them have a college degree. In
terms of socio-economic structure, 75% of the population is from low-income
groups, while 25% of them belong to the middle income class. Around 14% of
the district population is made up of individuals with special needs.
In a study on the city of Istanbul, Şeker (2011) found out that Esenler was
the district with the lowest quality of life – measured on seven parameters:
demographic structure, education, health, economy, transportation,
environment, and social life. The green area per person in Esenler is 1m2/
person. The building stock in the district is largely made up of adjacent five-
floor buildings and there is no green area between settlements. The military
area to the north has been vacated by the military and allocated to the city
of Esenler. It has been divided into ‘The North Reserve Area’ and ‘The South
Reserve Area.’ These new areas for Esenler will increase the green area ratio
per person in the city.
According to a report prepared by the Esenler Municipality in 2017, 70%
of the building stock in Esenler is made up of buildings without permits.
According to the report, the public spaces in the west and east of the district
seem relatively limited compared to other areas. Especially the current
educational areas, public service areas, assembly areas, green areas and
transportation infrastructure in the district appear to be limited. Public areas
fall short below all other neighborhoods in terms of meeting the needs of
service demand and accessibility. There are no assembly areas designed for
a potential disaster situation, like an earthquake. The existing transportation
system fails to meet the transport demands. According to the results of their
report, the current areas are beyond the limits that the city can afford, and
there is need for new urban redevelopment areas.
According to the 1/1000 scale master plan of Esenler North Topkule-
Baştabya Reserve Area, 60% of the building stock in Esenler is made up of
structures that lack resiliency and pose a threat in case of an earthquake.
Therefore, plans are underway to evacuate risky areas and relocate the
population residing there (approx. 150.000 people) and settle them in the
North and South Reserve Areas.

Year 1 / Issue 2 / July 2022 126