Eleven
pilot projects developed under the Istanbul SUMP (Sustainable
Urban Mobility Plan) Phase II – Implementation Plan Project, one of the
projects under the Sectoral Operational Programme for Transport (USOP) and
implemented by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, were presented to Istanbul
residents on Ordu Street on 22 September 2026.
Held
at Şimkeşhane Park as part of European Mobility Week, the event
showcased initiatives developed to help Istanbul achieve a safer, more
accessible, inclusive and resilient transport system. Attendees included Jurgis
Vilcinskas, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Türkiye; Assoc. Prof. Pelin
Alpkökin, Deputy Secretary-General of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality; Barış
Yıldırım, Head of the Municipality’s Transport Department; Melda Horoz, Head of
its Transport Planning Division; M. Kubilay Atlay, Contract Manager at the
Department of EU Investments of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure;
and Akif Türkel, Programme Manager at the EU Delegation to Türkiye.
Participants toured the pilot projects on display together.
The
initiatives developed under the project cover a wide range of areas, from
low-emission zones and healthy streets to pedestrianisation and traffic
calming, accessible piers and new ferry routes, cycle lanes and micromobility
solutions. The pilot projects also include proposals to
strengthen the resilience of Istanbul’s transport system to disasters and
crises. Presented to Istanbul residents throughout the event, these
initiatives aim to help reduce the city’s carbon emissions, improve the quality
of public spaces and expand sustainable transport options.
Following
the programme at Şimkeşhane Park, all participants walked together from Ordu
Street to Sultanahmet Square. Highlighting the vision of an Istanbul where
everyone can move around more safely and accessibly, the event concluded with a
group photograph in Sultanahmet Square.