16 September 2026
The book co-authored by Res. Asst. Merve Karadaban from the Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design has been published!
The study examining the strategic planning approaches of Istanbul district municipalities regarding earthquake risks, in which Res. Asst. Merve Karadaban Özen from the Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design (IAED) at Istanbul Gelisim University (IGU) Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA) took part as a researcher, has been published as a research book by Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Publications.
Conducted under the coordination of the Urbanism Application and Research Center of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, the study was initially shared with the public as a research report in 2024 under the title "Strategic Planning Approach of Istanbul District Municipalities in the Context of Earthquake Resilience for the Right to Life". In 2026, the study was published as a book under the same title by Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Publications, officially introducing it to the academic literature.
Strategic plans of Istanbul district municipalities were examined
Driven by the renewed discussions on the disaster preparedness levels of cities and the responsibilities of local governments following the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, the research examined the strategic plans of Istanbul district municipalities for the 2020–2024 period. The study investigated the extent to which the concepts of the right to life, disaster management, and earthquake resilience were included in municipal strategic plans. During this process; the determined aims and objectives, institutional responsibilities, participatory mechanisms, and administrative and financial capacities were evaluated holistically.
The research also aimed to contribute to the 2025–2029 strategic plans prepared after the 2024 local elections. With the publication of the book, to which Res. Asst. Merve Karadaban Özen contributed as a researcher, the findings of the research completed in 2024 were transformed into a permanent and open-access academic resource. The publication, which includes evaluations and recommendations for local governments, serves as a guiding resource not only for Istanbul but also for the strategic planning processes of other cities at risk of earthquakes.
The research book titled "Strategic Planning Approach of Istanbul District Municipalities in the Context of Earthquake Resilience for the Right to Life"—authored by Prof. Dr. Murat Cemal Yalçıntan, Dr. İnan İzci, Asst. Prof. Dr. Özgür Sayın, Orkun Doğan, Aslıhan Al, Ceyhan Çılgın, Derya İnce, Doğa İlke Parker, Hazal Doğruel, İlyas Seyrek, İrem Sıla Şen, Merve Karadaban, and Özge Uzun—can be accessed openly via the MSGSÜ Open Science and Art Archive.
The research also aimed to contribute to the 2025–2029 strategic plans prepared after the 2024 local elections. With the publication of the book, to which Res. Asst. Merve Karadaban Özen contributed as a researcher, the findings of the research completed in 2024 were transformed into a permanent and open-access academic resource. The publication, which includes evaluations and recommendations for local governments, serves as a guiding resource not only for Istanbul but also for the strategic planning processes of other cities at risk of earthquakes.
The research book titled "Strategic Planning Approach of Istanbul District Municipalities in the Context of Earthquake Resilience for the Right to Life"—authored by Prof. Dr. Murat Cemal Yalçıntan, Dr. İnan İzci, Asst. Prof. Dr. Özgür Sayın, Orkun Doğan, Aslıhan Al, Ceyhan Çılgın, Derya İnce, Doğa İlke Parker, Hazal Doğruel, İlyas Seyrek, İrem Sıla Şen, Merve Karadaban, and Özge Uzun—can be accessed openly via the MSGSÜ Open Science and Art Archive.