Atatürk Urban Park is awarded Silver. Atatürk is a recently restored and well-kept forest on the outskirts of Istanbul. It provides local citizens ample opportunities to jog, walk and breath fresh air. It is a good example of city planning taking advantage of natural provisions.

Atatürk Urban Park

Atatürk Urban Forest is an artificial forest created as a result of the afforestation activity in 1950. Today, it has reached a normal forest appearance with coniferous plant tissue that is over 50 years old. It is one of the most important ecological values of Istanbul with its unspoiled nature with an area of approximately 1.1 million m2. In addition, there are three lakes in the area that are home to many bird and fish species. Project aims to protect the species in their protected natural habitat and reunite the people with nature by creating a harmonious park environment.

Atatürk Urban Forest, with its unspoiled nature and an area of 1.1 million m2, is a living ecosystem that includes all forms of life in a forest that comprises an outstanding ecological value for the city of Istanbul. The focus and purpose of the project is to create a common habitat where all species would live in harmony. The interrupted accessibility on the site is provided through a 12 km axis with paths and service roads, which ensure that the unscathed texture of the forest could be easily followed by visitors. Here, two protected areas have been determined to maintain the continuity of the endemic species. The natural beauty of the woods is supplemented with the extraordinary architecture of the Police Station Building, which is a registered historical structure. The basic principle of the planning process concerns the preservation of the value of the existing assets and ensuring the sustainability for the future development. In particular, the planning of the lighting elements encompasses the evaluation of all factors in consideration to an ecologically sensitive design manner. In addition, another function of the Atatürk Urban Forest is to strengthen the people-nature connection, which is lost due to contemporary city lifestyle. Nevertheless, the project contributes to the development of our children, which are the foundation of our future, through educational activities such as orienteering in a natural environment.