Resilient Urban Housing Panel

On 31 October 2026, as part of World Cities Day, we organized the “Resilient Urban Housing” panel at Metrohan in Istanbul, in collaboration with the Urban Planning Application and Research Center (ŞUAM) of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University.

Resilient Urban Housing Panel

İstanbul, 31 October 2026

The panel explored the development of safe and accessible housing, addressing disaster and climate resilience, sustainable financing, public participation, and good governance.

Moderated by Prof. Dr. Murat Cemal Yalçıntan, Director of the Urban Planning Application and Research Center at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, the panel emphasized the importance of housing policies that go beyond structural safety to address residents’ living conditions and their right to remain in their neighborhoods.

Dr. Emrah Altınok discussed the right to a quality living environment, access to housing, solidarity economies, and cooperative housing models. Prof. Dr. Nilgün Okay highlighted the importance of addressing social vulnerabilities, promoting participation, and strengthening cross-sector collaboration in developing disaster-resilient cities.

From left to right: Prof. Dr. Murat Cemal Yalçıntan (Moderator), Dr. Emrah Altınok, Prof. Dr. Nilgün Okay, Attorney Turan Hançerli, Onur Ünlü, Dr. İnan İzci.

Lawyer Turan Hançerli drew on his experience in Avcılar to explore opportunities for in-situ urban regeneration and public-private partnerships. Onur Ünlü focused on the private sector’s responsibilities in developing resilient and accessible housing, investments in climate change adaptation, and sustainable financing models.

Dr. İnan İzci emphasized the importance of participation, transparency, and accountability in urban transformation processes. He highlighted the need to strengthen good governance mechanisms to ensure that diverse stakeholders are included in decision-making processes and that the public interest is safeguarded.

The panel underscored the importance of an integrated approach to building resilient cities, bringing together structural safety, accessible housing, quality living environments, and participatory decision-making processes. Protecting residents’ living conditions, enabling them to remain in their neighborhoods, and ensuring their meaningful participation in decision-making processes emerged as key priorities for the future of sustainable and resilient cities.

We extend our sincere thanks to all speakers for their valuable contributions, to the Urban Planning Application and Research Center of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University for its collaboration, and to all participants for joining us.