Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality leveraged natural and intellectual resources to redefine the city’s narrative through interwoven investments in natural, physical and cultural infrastructure.
A 20th-century industrial boom and rapid population growth drove Eskişehir into unmanaged expansion and traffic congestion. Industrial and domestic waste had turned its main waterway, the Porsuk River, into a foul-smelling, frequently flooding open sewer in the 1990s. By the time a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck in 1999, industrial activity in Eskişehir had declined and left the city choked with environmental damage and vehicle traffic, with low quality of life and few prospects for change. The earthquake, which killed 37 people and caused extensive damage across the city, also exposed alarming decay of critical infrastructure, particularly the Porsuk’s pedestrian and vehicle bridges.
- Developed 39 kilometers of tram lines and 33 tram vehicles
- Rehabilitated the Porsuk River and 9.5 kilometers of irrigation canals
- Created 506,821 square meters of new green parks
- Pedestrianized two streets in the city center
- Stabilized, renovated and strengthened the Porsuk riverbed, its irrigation canals and pedestrian and vehicle bridges
- Improved access for users with special needs, the elderly and young families via sidewalk and bridge redesigns and at-level boarding stations for the tram
- Improved disaster resilience and access to economic opportunity and leisure for all residents, while significantly boosting local businesses
- Unlocked a virtuous cycle, changing residents’ and visitors’ perception of the city as a modern and bustling university town
- Made the city more livable, clean and modern
- Attracted new domestic and international tourists by facelifting downtown streets and revitalizing local businesses
- Promoted public transport among local residents, lowered carbon emissions and reduced pollution through creation of new tram lines.
- Provides tram services to 130,000 passengers per day
- Developed two new parks, increasing green space per capita by 215%
- Widely regarded as the catalyst for a citywide turnaround
