The Pedestrianization of Historic Istanbul
Pedestrians fill a popular shopping avenue in Istanbul, Turkey's Historic Peninsula. From Times Square in New York City to Buenos Aires's famed Florida Street, pedestrianization projects around the world have proven that businesses benefit as foot traffic increases. Pedestrian areas make commercial sense, since they attract tourists, shoppers, and workers on their lunch break. In this case, what is good for urban residents has been good for the city and businesses at large. Photo by Clayton Lane/EMBARQ.
Streams of traffic illuminate Istanbul, Turkey. Traffic congestion can result in many negative consequences for cities, including poor air quality, increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, traffic accidents, and extended travel times that decrease quality of life for urban residents. The pedestrianization of over 250 streets in Istanbul's Historic Peninsula has helped mitigate these impacts in a culturally and architecturally rich part of the city. Photo by Novemberdelta/Flickr.
Pedestrianization in Istanbul's Historic Peninsula has transformed public space in the area, increasing accessibility and safety for pedestrians. Pictured: Istiklal Avenue. Photo by Ozgur Guvenc/Shutterstock.
Pedestrians enjoy Istiklal Avenue in Istanbul's Historic Peninsula. Istiklal Avenue is perhaps the most famous street in Istanbul, Turkey - it attracts nearly three million visitors daily on the weekends. Packed with stores, restaurants, bars, cinemas, art galleries, and more, the pedestrian-only avenue offers a myriad of entertainment for tourists and residents alike. Photo by Mehmet Aktugan/Flickr.
Pedestrians cross through automobile traffic near Taksim Square in Istanbul. Pedestrianization helps improve traffic safety by providing adequate pedestrian infrastructure and decreasing interaction between pedestrians and motorized vehicles. Photo by Matthias Rhomberg/Flickr.
Motorized traffic clogs Ataturk Boulevard at rush hour, one of Istanbul's busiest thoroughfares. Photo by Jon Anderson/Flickr.
Pedestrians enjoy the transformation of Istanbul's Historic Peninsula from car-dominated roads to people-oriented public spaces. EMBARQ Turkey played a key role in conceptualizing and catalyzing the pedestrianization project, and is now furthering its contribution by conducting a survey assessment and analysis of the project’s success. Photo by Romel Jacinto/Flickr.
Between 2011 and 2013, EMBARQ Turkey, in cooperation with Gehl Architects, helped to pedestrianize over 250 streets in Istanbul’s Historic Peninsula, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. EMBARQ Turkey partnered with local government and relied on the input of local business, communities, and stakeholders to revitalize public spaces that had been severely challenged by traffic congestion, improving air quality and reducing traffic crashes. Roughly 2.5 million people now walk the peninsula's streets daily and pedestrianization projects like the one undertaken in Istanbul have been shown to reduce traffic fatalities by 60%. Future work will replicate this approach in three historic Turkish cities by 2019.