A New Shipping Canal for Istanbul? Water, History, Economy and ‘Crossroads’

Other (2022)

Authors

D. Yerli Universiteit Leiden, Teachers of Practice / A - Architecture and the Built Environment
Gül Aktürk History, Form & Aesthetics - Architecture and the Built Environment
Esra Dolgun Politecnico di Torino
Research Group
History, Form & Aesthetics (Architecture and the Built Environment) (TU Delft)
Sustainability Urban planning Istanbul Water heritage Shipping canals
More Info
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Published Date

2022

Language

English

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Faculty

Architecture and the Built Environment

Department

Architecture

Research Group

History, Form & Aesthetics

Abstract

The national government of Turkey has recently confirmed plans to build a new shipping canal within the borders of the country’s most populated city. The Istanbul Canal Project is planned to run parallel to the narrow water strait of the Bosporus (the Strait of Istanbul), by connecting the Black Sea to the Marmara Sea. The initial idea of an alternative shipping canal for Istanbul can be traced back to the 16th century. Even so, the contemporary plan immediately set off a large number of political and environmental debates leaving Turkey at a crossroads. In this blog, Didem Yerli, Gül Aktürk, and Esma Dolgun first discuss the various elements that are commonly recognized in the country’s narrative regarding national economic prosperity, then critically discuss the Canal Project's environmental implications.