Istanbul, a Generation Restoration pilot and role model city, leads in restoration with experience restoring estuaries, rivers, lakes, forests, and green corridors. It launched a pilot project focused on advancing bird biodiversity through integrating bird habitats into city bus stops.
About the city
Istanbul is a transcontinental city that lies across both Europe and Asia, split by the Bosphorus Strait. It is home to approximately 15.7 million residents, with 65% of its residents living on the European side, and 35% living on the Asian side. Located in the Mediterranean basin, Istanbul has a Mediterranean climate with cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers. It is a city of great historical importance, as the center of key trade routes between Europe and Asia and the capital of multiple major empires throughout history. Today, Istanbul is a major economic and cultural capital that accounts for 30% of the Turkish economy, with major footholds in the commerce, finance, and tourism industries.
Local challenges
Istanbul is vulnerable to various climate challenges, including rising temperatures, extreme rainfall, coastal hazards, and droughts. Already experiencing historically dry years, Istanbul’s climate is projected to become hotter and drier, with increased urban temperatures exacerbated by the urban heat island effect. At the same time, Istanbul is experiencing increasing extreme weather events, including hail storms and extreme precipitation. Istanbul’s expansion to support its growing population has resulted in habitat fragmentation, as well as noise and light pollution. Other threats to biodiversity include invasive species proliferation, as well as increases in the populations of stray cats and dogs in the city, which pose particular risk to bird populations.
Action through Generation Restoration, Main Outcomes, and Key Learnings
The Generation Restoration pilot project in Istanbul aimed to enhance the conservation of migratory bird species and improve ecological connectivity by integrating nature-based solutions (NbS) to support bird conservation into existing urban infrastructure.
To prepare for implementation, the pilot project in Istanbul involved key preliminary actions. The first was a comprehensive overview of Istanbul’s avifauna in a detailed report. The report outlined the importance of birds and their contributions to ecosystem functioning, particularly through seed dispersal, pollination, pest control, and their role as indicators of ecosystem health. The report also details Istanbul’s important location along migratory bird pathways, particularly for the many birds that travel between Europe and Africa, and outlines the seven Important Bird Areas (IBAs) of Istanbul, which are sites of global significance for bird conservation. From there, the report provides a detailed account of different migratory bird species visiting Istanbul, the present global threats to avifauna, and the Turkish regulatory infrastructure that supports bird conservation. Finally, the report concludes with design recommendations for bird-friendly cities that integrate NbS into urban planning for urban biodiversity protection.
Building on this baseline, the project team then assessed suitable locations for pilot areas for bird conservation in Istanbul, with the overarching vision of creating micro-habitats for migratory birds at city bus stops, both supporting mobility alternatives and bird biodiversity. To do this, the team drew extensively on past studies, including a workshop on ecosystems held prior to the start of the pilot project, and solicited expert input on project design from individuals and groups involved in bird conservation in Istanbul, including researchers, NGOs, and government agencies. From this, a set of selection criteria for pilot sites was established, priority species and indicator species were identified, and the various IBAs were evaluated to select an appropriate location for pilot intervention.
Ultimately, the work culminated in the selection of three pilot area locations at Büyük Çamlıca Grove, Atatürk Urban Forest, and Yıldız Grove, and two indicator species. These were detailed in a report outlining the selection process. Overall, pilot project work produced detailed preparatory studies and expert consultations that provide a solid foundation for future project implementation.
From these preparatory activities, the pilot project generated various lessons learned, particularly around communications between government departments. Given the size of the municipal government and the number of agencies and actors involved, mobilizing collaboration required proactive, clear, and direct communication showcasing the objectives and frameworks of the project. Additional key learnings included the importance of selecting visible and accessible urban locations for NbS interventions, the need to integrate bird migration data into urban planning processes, and the recognition that effective ecological restoration requires strong coordination across municipal departments and alignment with national conservation frameworks.
Moving forward, the project team envisions the full implementation of the pilot project sites at bus stops around Istanbul, equipping public spaces with important information on biodiversity and ecosystem restoration to integrate ecology in the city’s urban identity.
How the city leads in restoration
Istanbul has proved itself to be a leader in restoration, with decades of urban ecosystem restoration planning and experience. Istanbul’s commitment to integrating NbS is guided by robust policy and strategic planning infrastructure. This includes the city masterplan Istanbul Vision 2050, which outlines various cross-cutting development themes, including climate resilience, nature conservation, inclusive mobility, improved infrastructure, and a more inclusive society. The climate adaptation goals include numerous strategies to strengthen NbS, including wetland restoration, protection of coastal and marine ecosystems, reforestation, as well as bird and biodiversity conservation initiatives. Complementing this is the Istanbul Climate Change Action Plan, which proposes a strategy to enhance resilience against climate change while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Actions under this plan include the protection of fragile ecosystems, better waste management, establishing alternative mobility infrastructure, and expanding urban green spaces.
Istanbul also prioritizes ecological connectivity through the development of an Urban Ecological Corridor Network, a flagship component of Vision 2050. These corridors link the city’s forests, river basins, coasts, and urban parks, supporting biodiversity, improving cooling, and strengthening climate resilience across the city.
Istanbul has a rich history of working to revive and restore its ecosystems. One early, notable project is the restoration of the Golden Horn Estuary between 1995 and 2003, which aimed at improving water quality and ecosystem health in the estuary, through construction of wastewater facilities, relocation of industrial activities, dredging of anoxic sludge, landscaping activities, and redesigning the area as a destination for tourism and culture. This project is considered one of the most successful urban estuary restorations implemented globally, and has served as an example for other cities worldwide.
Following the Golden Horn project, Istanbul implemented several additional large-scale waterway and basin rehabilitation efforts, such as the Ayamama River, Riva River, and Kurbağalıdere restorations. These projects combine grey and green solutions, including NbS, such as riparian planting, floodplain rehabilitation, and water quality improvements, to reduce flood risk and enhance ecological functioning.
A major initiative to enhance forest ecosystems in Istanbul and other areas of Türkiye, the "Ecosystem Services for Social Cohesion in the Istanbul Regional Directorate of Forestry" project recognizes the interconnected importance of forest ecosystems and water security. A priority of the project is to develop NbS to increase forest resilience in and around Istanbul, through activities such as mapping forest ecosystem services, vulnerability analyses, developing climate change adaptation strategies, and implementing NbS in collaboration with project stakeholders.
Other restoration initiatives in Istanbul include the Küçükçekmece Lake Restoration project, which aims to address pollution issues in the lake due to untreated industrial and domestic waste. At Küçükçekmece Lake, past interventions have focused on addressing pollution caused by untreated industrial and domestic wastewater. More recently, Istanbul University’s Water Sciences Institute has carried out extensive ecological and water quality assessments to guide future restoration decisions and identify feasible NbS. The vision of the project is to restore the lake’s ecosystem to significantly improve water quality and support aquatic life, while also creating public space for locals and visitors.
Istanbul is also integrating garden infrastructure into urban planning through the creation of urban gardens and agricultural parks. These spaces integrate NbS through planting, composting, beekeeping, and other initiatives. At the same time, they improve soil health, promote increased access to green space, support food security among city residents, and provide spaces for learning and education, better connecting urban residents to food production systems. Notable projects include the Yedikule market garden, Roma community garden, and Kuzguncuk allotment garden. Beyond these well-known sites, Istanbul has also expanded its wider urban agriculture and food resilience programs, including new municipal gardens, rooftop agriculture pilots, community composting initiatives, and training programs to connect residents with sustainable food systems.
