As part of the
European Mobility Week,
an event called “Movement is Freedom Ferry: Transportation Conversations
Between Two Coasts” of Istanbul Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) Project which is financed under the Sectoral Operational
Programme (USOP) for Transport managed by the Ministry of Transport and
Infrastructure, was
organized on 20 September 2024 during the Kadıköy-Beşiktaş ferry services in
Istanbul. The event was organized to
emphasize the importance of sustainable transportation and to consider ferries
as shared public spaces.
The event started
with a music performance by Vokal Akademi. Afterwards, Istanbul Metropolitan
Municipality Transportation Planning Director Manager Melda Horoz and Mert
Fırat talked about City and Sea: Traces of Living Together. In this session,
the contributions of Istanbul's coastal areas to urban life throughout history
and their role in social interactions were discussed. It was emphasized that
the coasts have been a social meeting point for Istanbulites from past to
present.
In the second
session, an origami workshop titled “The Dreams We Fold on the Ferry” was
organized. Before the workshop, passengers were asked to write their memories
of the ferry on the papers distributed to them. Some of the passengers shared
these memories, and then the participants had a pleasant interaction by making
origami ships together.
In the last session,
Özgür Soy, Head of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Transportation Group, and
Osmantan Erkır discussed “Eco-Friendly Transportation: Sea Travel”. In this
session, the importance of maritime transportation in Istanbul, its role in reducing
the city's traffic and its contributions as an environmentally friendly mode of
transportation were discussed. The historical importance of the ferry in the
cultural and social life of Istanbul from past to present was also emphasized.
This event brought maritime transportation back to the agenda as a transportation option that both strengthens social ties and is environmentally friendly and was welcomed with interest by the participants.
