Çatı Çiftliği
The Pitch
Çati Çiftliği addressed cost of living and environmental stressors in Istanbul by promoting local food systems, restoring the urban forest and improving rainwater management.
The Problem
Istanbul’s cost of living crisis created financial burdens for residents and strained food security. In addition, climate change is changing rainfall patterns and fueling droughts in the region, exacerbating these issues.
The Process
- Restored the Karsiyaka urban forest by planting fruit and nut trees to provide food for residents
- Designed a rainwater harvesting strategy to manage both flooding and droughts in the forest
- Instituted a composting system to reduce kitchen waste
- Created an Urban Food Strategy that established a network of community gardens
- Created “tiny forests” that turned vacant urban spaces into densely planted forests of native species
- Developed Community Engagement Units for residents to provide feedback on the program and share their hopes for future development through surveys, workshops and events
- Had residents vote on project designs before they were approved
The Impact
- Restored 150,000 square meters of the Karsiyaka urban forest, with plans to restore an additional 100,000 square meters
- Planted 102 local plant species and will have 30,000 saplings upon project completion
- Optimized tiny forests for carbon uptake by planting 30 times more densely (than traditional urban forests), resulting in 30 times the carbon dioxide sequestration
- Harvests 530,000 tons of water per year (equivalent to 264 Olympic pools) through the rainwater harvesting strategy, helping to reduce flooding and providing water for irrigation during droughts
- Established composting in 35,000 households
- Composts 6,400 tons of food waste each year and delivers it to community gardens
- Reduced producer and consumer expenses by creating a supply of locally grown fruits and vegetables
- Improved local food security and helped to lift some of the burdens of Türkiye’s cost-of-living crisis
- Attracted interest from other municipalities and organizations who would like to carry out similar projects: Çati Çiftliği was invited to the Zero Waste Congress to share their knowledge and provide training
