expert and infrastructure deficiencies were overlooked. Therefore, in many provinces, the “provincial territorial plan” required by law could not be prepared. The
cooperation and coordination efforts of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in
the implementation of territorial plans are inadequate. Authority concerning the
preparation and approval of territorial plans was not exercised according to legislation. Sub-scaled plans cannot be prepared in compliance with Territorial Plans.
Further, environmental protection approaches are not sufficiently reflected in
Territorial Plans. Sectoral integration is weak in environmental planning, which in
turn negatively affects sub-scaled plans. After the reorganization of the Ministry of
Environment and Urbanization, a series of institutional and legislative arrangements
were made regarding urbanization and spatial planning.
A new Ministry was established in order to set forth the new spatial planning
approach across the country, establish the necessary institutional organization,
formulate the legal framework of the proposed planning process, and determine
general policies, guidelines and norms for solving problems related to urbanization,
housing and planning. The Ministry of Environment and Urbanization was charged
with the duty of preparing, in collaboration with the relevant institutions and
organizations, the spatial plans at national and regional levels which guide settlements, housing and land use. In addition, the Ministry is responsible for guiding
macro scale spatial planning systems, providing sustainable city development,
revealing city brand potentials, realizing urban renewal implementations, forming
cities protected against disasters, developing projects related to rural settlements,
providing planned development of coastal areas, providing technical assistance and
guidance to local administrations, mitigating irregular urbanization caused by rapid
growth, and building resilient cities.
Within this framework, risk zones and vulnerable buildings across Turkey were
identified, and included in the scope of urban transformation in order to place
irregular urbanization under control. Ultimately, the jurisdiction of metropolitan
municipalities partially extended in 2004 was extended to provincial borders with
the Metropolitan Municipality Law, which was amended in 2012 (Republic of
Turkey Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, 2014).
4.5.7 Municipalities and Environment
Municipalities are the most ‘autonomous’ types of local government in Turkey.
Metropolitan municipalities are administered according to the Metropolitan
Municipality Law, enacted in 2004, and the Municipal Law, enacted in 2005, and
other similar laws. According to the Turkish Constitution, all forms of local government (municipality, provincial local government and village) are regulated by
law in accordance with the principle of decentralization (Arıba et al., 2014). A new
law (No. 6360) on “The Establishment of Fourteen Metropolitan Municipalities and
Twenty-seven Districts and Amendments at Certain Law and Decree Laws” entered
into force in 2012 (OG, 06 December 2012, No. 28489). The metropolitan
76
S. S. Gökalp Alıca
cooperation and coordination efforts of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in
the implementation of territorial plans are inadequate. Authority concerning the
preparation and approval of territorial plans was not exercised according to legislation. Sub-scaled plans cannot be prepared in compliance with Territorial Plans.
Further, environmental protection approaches are not sufficiently reflected in
Territorial Plans. Sectoral integration is weak in environmental planning, which in
turn negatively affects sub-scaled plans. After the reorganization of the Ministry of
Environment and Urbanization, a series of institutional and legislative arrangements
were made regarding urbanization and spatial planning.
A new Ministry was established in order to set forth the new spatial planning
approach across the country, establish the necessary institutional organization,
formulate the legal framework of the proposed planning process, and determine
general policies, guidelines and norms for solving problems related to urbanization,
housing and planning. The Ministry of Environment and Urbanization was charged
with the duty of preparing, in collaboration with the relevant institutions and
organizations, the spatial plans at national and regional levels which guide settlements, housing and land use. In addition, the Ministry is responsible for guiding
macro scale spatial planning systems, providing sustainable city development,
revealing city brand potentials, realizing urban renewal implementations, forming
cities protected against disasters, developing projects related to rural settlements,
providing planned development of coastal areas, providing technical assistance and
guidance to local administrations, mitigating irregular urbanization caused by rapid
growth, and building resilient cities.
Within this framework, risk zones and vulnerable buildings across Turkey were
identified, and included in the scope of urban transformation in order to place
irregular urbanization under control. Ultimately, the jurisdiction of metropolitan
municipalities partially extended in 2004 was extended to provincial borders with
the Metropolitan Municipality Law, which was amended in 2012 (Republic of
Turkey Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, 2014).
4.5.7 Municipalities and Environment
Municipalities are the most ‘autonomous’ types of local government in Turkey.
Metropolitan municipalities are administered according to the Metropolitan
Municipality Law, enacted in 2004, and the Municipal Law, enacted in 2005, and
other similar laws. According to the Turkish Constitution, all forms of local government (municipality, provincial local government and village) are regulated by
law in accordance with the principle of decentralization (Arıba et al., 2014). A new
law (No. 6360) on “The Establishment of Fourteen Metropolitan Municipalities and
Twenty-seven Districts and Amendments at Certain Law and Decree Laws” entered
into force in 2012 (OG, 06 December 2012, No. 28489). The metropolitan
76
S. S. Gökalp Alıca