Istanbul tears down 10,000 structures a year for urban transformation
Duygu Erdoğan - ISTANBUL
Impelled by the threat of a major earthquake and aging housing infrastructure, Istanbul has effectively become a sprawling, open-air construction zone where nearly 10,000 unsafe buildings are demolished and rebuilt every year.
According to government figures and urban planning estimates, the Turkish metropolis accounts for roughly half of all urban renewal demolitions that are taking place across Türkiye. Nationwide, an estimated 20,000 high-risk buildings are torn down annually under an urban overhaul initiative launched in 2012.
The stakes are particularly critical in Istanbul, a sprawling city of more than 15 million people that sits near major fault lines. Local authorities estimate that out of roughly 1.5 million at-risk housing units in the city, around 600,000 are in such severe condition that they face immediate risk of collapse in the event of a powerful seismic event.
