Speaker
Description
As cities continue to expand, the increasing pressures of climate change and disaster risks have revealed significant gaps in conventional growth-driven urban strategies, which often fail to address ecological balance and social equity adequately (Pelling, 2011; Ahern, 2011). Urban growth patterns, when poorly managed, can intensify vulnerability to climate hazards while neglecting critical aspects of social justice and sustainability (Anguelovski et al., 2016). In Turkiye, rapid urbanization results from infrastructure-led development and economic expansion, which continue to reshape urban areas while often prioritizing spatial growth instead of long-term climate resilience and disaster risk reduction (Balaban, 2012). Despite the existence of national and local policy frameworks addressing climate change and disaster risks, there remains a significant gap in the integration of urban growth policies with these strategies, particularly in the context of rapidly transforming metropolitan regions like Istanbul.
This study evaluates the extent to which climate change-related disaster risk policies in Istanbul, Turkiye are integrated with urban growth strategies. A dual-focus analysis explores how disaster risk policies impact urban growth patterns and how unregulated urban expansion can exacerbate climate vulnerabilities. Within the framework of ecological balance and social equity, the research critically examines the limitations of economic and physical expansion-driven growth models and their implications for urban risks. A total of seven policy documents, including four national policies (12th Development Plan, National Earthquake Strategy and Action Plan, Turkiye Disaster Risk Reduction Plan, and National Climate Change Action Plan) and three local policies (Istanbul Vision 2050 Strategy Document, Istanbul Climate Change Action Plan, and Istanbul Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Plan), were analyzed using strategic policy analysis methodology. The analysis focused on target groups, core strategies, key performance indicators, and key measures. The research also considers how effectively these policies have been translated into practice and their real-world implications for urban risks and sustainability.
Findings reveal a significant disconnection between disaster risk management and urban growth strategies, with disaster policies predominantly emphasizing technical and structural measures while neglecting social resilience, spatial justice, inclusive governance, and implementation tools. The results highlight limited policy coherence with national frameworks emphasizing top-down control while local strategies vary in their capacity to address both spatial vulnerabilities and social inequalities. This research advocates for a paradigm shift beyond growth-driven development models by promoting a more integrated framework that prioritizes ecological sustainability and social equity in urban development and disaster risk management strategies.
References
Ahern, J. (2011). From fail-safe to safe-to-fail: Sustainability and resilience in the new urban world. Landscape and Urban Planning, 100(4), pp. 341-343.
Anguelovski, I., Shi, L., Chu, E., Gallagher, D., Goh, K., Lamb, Z., Reeve, K. and Teicher, H. (2016). Equity impacts of urban land use planning for climate adaptation: Critical perspectives from the global North and South. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 36(3), pp.333-348.
Balaban, O. (2012). The negative effects of construction boom on urban planning and environment in Turkey: Unraveling the role of the public sector. Habitat International, 36(1), 26-35.
Pelling, M. (2011). Adaptation to Climate Change: From Resilience to Transformation. Abingdon: Routledge.
| Keywords | climate change; disaster risk policies; urban growth strategies |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
