Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Tunç Soyerparticipated in the project introduction meeting of Durbay Group Partnership, the contractor of the first phase of the Ege Mahallesi Urban Transformation Project carried out by the Metropolitan Municipality. Mayor Soyer said, “We do not hurt souls when we wash houses in places where we are doing urban transformation. With the Aegean District, a new page is opened in the humane and nature-friendly transformation of İzmir.”
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality continues its urban transformation projects. An introductory meeting was held for the independent sections of the Durbay Group Partnership, the contractor of the first phase of the Ege Mahallesi Urban Transformation Project, for which the first phase works were started, defined as the contractor's share. Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, who attended the meeting at the Mövenpick Hotel Tunç Soyerstarted his speech by addressing the principles of urban transformation studies. President Soyer said, “An area that we can call gangrene for İzmir, which is the most troublesome and difficult area, is undergoing a transformation. This is above all appreciation. It is a very valuable step for the future of Izmir. A new page is opened in İzmir's humane and nature-friendly transformation. The transformation is finally starting in the Aegean District. That's why I'm very proud and happy."
“İzmir will be a safer and more peaceful city”
Mayor Soyer mentioned that Izmir's old building stock is one of the main problems of the city and said, “It is really not easy to organize this planlessness that has occurred over half a century. However, we will not surrender and give up. As soon as we took office, we tried to rejuvenate İzmir and we are determined to continue this struggle without interruption. İzmir will be a younger, safer and more peaceful city. We will achieve this together. We know that the place has a soul. The more enthusiastic and confident that spirit is, the more the people of that city live. We do not look at urban transformation as the demolition of old buildings and the construction of new ones. We see the urban transformation in İzmir as a reflection of the social, cultural and spatial character of the city. For this reason, on-site transformation is our most basic principle. Because we know that the spirit of our neighborhoods can only be preserved by the hands of people who were born and raised there. In 6 regions in total; We will continue to carry out the transformation of İzmir step by step in Ege Mahallesi, Uzundere, Ballıkuyu, Çiğli Güzeltepe, Gaziemir and Örnekköy. With the transformation we will realize in the Aegean District, this region, which is inhabited by approximately 4 thousand people, will have a brand new and very modern face.”
“The insurance of our citizens, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality”
Stating that they set out with three basic principles at the beginning, President Soyer continued his words as follows: “The first is on-site transformation. Of course, our aim is to provide safer and healthier homes to everyone living in Ege Mahallesi. But at the same time, we want those born in this neighborhood to live in this neighborhood again. Therefore, our second principle is to obtain the consent of each of our citizens. So we are transforming with one hundred percent consensus. We carry out this whole process under the assurance and guarantee of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality. May all our citizens rest in peace. In the urban transformation of İzmir, the insurance of the citizens is our municipality. We will always continue to protect the rights of our citizens, whether we work with our contractor company as in the Aegean District or we have implemented the cooperative model unique to İzmir.”
“We don't hurt souls when we wash houses where we transform”
Stating that the construction area is 120 thousand square meters, Mayor Soyer stated that the project has a commercial and residential function. Soyer said, “When we complete the works in the Aegean District, all the deficiencies, both physically and socially, will be eliminated in the 7-hectare transformation area. We will see a brand new Aegean Neighborhood that is resistant to earthquakes. We do not hurt the souls when we wash the houses in the places where we do urban transformation. We strive to build better together. We aimed to achieve this in all our other urban transformation projects. You will see that we will achieve the same success here," he said.
“I wish all local governments would do similar work”
Mayor Soyer, who also gave information about the seismicity researches and building stock inventory studies they carried out for the future of the city, said, “We are taking an underground photograph of İzmir. We are conducting a study that is unlike any other city in Turkey. The future of the city will be revealed at the end of these scientific studies. I wish all local governments in Turkey would do similar work for their own cities," he said.
“Target 20 thousand”
Explaining the gains they have achieved by including the cooperative model in the urban transformation works, Soyer said: “We have put forward a model that revives the building cooperatives, which was once abused in Turkey, now with the assurance of the municipality. A contractor's profit is no longer born. In this new model, we make the public the subject of production. We both accelerate the urban transformation and move it to a point where everyone can benefit and get a share of the prosperity produced by the city. Currently, the urban transformation processes of approximately 3 residences are continuing. Our target is 900 thousand. Even 15 thousand. We will continue as long as we can.”
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