The new bill aims to solve the licensing problem in urban transformation to encourage more people to participate in urban transformation. According to the report, currently people do not face problems during urban renewal, but problems arise when building new buildings after demolishing them.
Under the new bill, the main goal is expected to be towards solving this problem. For those who own properties in restricted areas, residential units will be provided in reserved areas for a fee, while low interest rates and favorable installment options will also be provided to citizens to purchase houses in reserved areas.
Within restricted areas, demolished buildings will not be replaced, but the areas will be used for their designated purposes or converted into green spaces and parks. According to reports, this will help reduce congestion problems in the city.
Currently, urban renewal provisions do not present problems during the demolition phase of hazardous buildings. The problem arises when a new building is constructed after a building has been demolished.
For example, in order to obtain a construction permit for a new building, the consent and signatures of all property owners are required. When consensus is not reached, the process can become lengthy.
Consideration is currently being given to introducing requirements requiring two-thirds majority approval at each stage of urban renewal. The process was initially considered to proceed by a simple majority, but it was ultimately concluded that this might violate constitutional property rights.
There are also plans to increase rental assistance that provides properties for urban renewal. It is believed that many people are deterred from participating in urban renewal due to high rental costs, and increased rental assistance is expected to encourage more building renovations.
There are plans to establish a unit dedicated to urban transformation within the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. There will be multiple directorates covering all aspects from land production to revenue generation activities.
Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Mehmet Özhasekki previously told Daily Sabah that the country had been hit by devastating twin earthquakes earlier this year. Step up efforts to develop a legislative framework and roadmap for Istanbul.
Two devastating earthquakes struck the southeast of the country earlier in February, killing more than 50,000 people and destroying hundreds of thousands of buildings.
Istanbul is located on the North Anatolian Fault (NAF), an active right-lateral strike-slip fault in the northern Anatolian region, which is at risk of high-magnitude earthquakes at any time.
The city was last severely damaged by the Marmara earthquake in August 1999, which killed at least 17,000 people and injured tens of thousands more.