Regenerating Istanbul

John McCarthy, Senior Lecturer in the Geddes Institute of the School of Town and Regional Planning, was one of the urban regeneration experts who came from across Europe to address Istanbul's chronic housing problems at the International Urban Regeneration Symposium held in Istanbul.

John explained, "Istanbul has serious problems of substandard housing, environmental degradation and the urgent need for inward investment. With a population of 10 million, it faces widespread unplanned and illegal housing development in outlying areas. Currently, 65% of the city's buildings have been built illegally, and predictions of a further earthquake in the region mean that many of these buildings could be destroyed with massive loss of life."

Participants from the UK, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark presented their views on these issues to the 900 delegates from all over Turkey. The conference drew interest from national media, with live TV coverage of opening presentations.

John added, "While real solutions remain distant, the conference focused attention on issues of extreme urgency, and paved the way for progress towards sustainable regeneration."