SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES

More than half of us live in cities. By 2050, two-thirds of all humanity—6.5 billion people—will be urban. Sustainable development cannot be achieved without significantly transforming the way we build and manage our urban spaces.

The rapid growth of cities—a result of rising populations and increasing migration—has led to a boom in mega-cities, especially in the developing world, and slums are becoming a more significant feature of urban life.

Making cities sustainable means creating career and business opportunities, safe and affordable housing, and building resilient societies and economies. It involves investment in public transport, creating green public spaces, and improving urban planning and management in participatory and inclusive ways.

• Marmara University was deemed worthy of 6 awards in the “Education Accessibility” category and 4 awards in the “Accessibility in Space” category within the scope of the Barrier-Free University Awards for 2022.

https://www.marmara.edu.tr/news/marmara-universitesi-yok-2022-engelsiz-universiteler-yarismasinda-10-odul-aldi

• In 2023, the Council of Higher Education is carrying out studies under the titles of “barrier-free access” and “barrier-free education” to eliminate the obstacles experienced in entering higher education and in the education process in order to ensure equal opportunities in education at all levels, and encourages universities with flag awards. Marmara University received 7 flags at the YÖK 2023 “Barrier-Free University Awards” ceremony.

https://www.marmara.edu.tr/news/marmara-universitesi-yok-2023-engelsiz-universite-odulleri-toreninde-7-bayrak-aldi

• Our university has made disabled accessibility arrangements in the RTE Complex Faculty of Engineering (M1, M2, M3, M4, M5 buildings) and Faculty of Technology (T1, T2, T3, T4 buildings) buildings in order to facilitate the education of disabled students and ensure their full participation in education-training processes.

https://yapi.marmara.edu.tr/notice/rte-kulliyesi-muhendislik-ve-teknoloji-fakultelerinde-engelli-erisebilirlik-duzenlemeleri-tamamlandi

• A Disabled Dentistry Application and Research Center with a total construction area of ​​6,824.20 m2 is being built in Istanbul in order to provide easy and fast access to oral and dental health treatment for disabled patients. The physical realization of the “Marmara University Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Complex Disabled Dentistry Application and Research Center Construction Completion Work” has reached 45%.

https://yapi.marmara.edu.tr/notice/recep-tayyip-erdogan-kulliyesinde-engelli-dis-hekimligi-uygulama-ve-arastirma-merkezi-yapliyor

• Relevant to this topic, the training programs organized in our field of activity can serve as examples. Specifically, the Sustainability Training Program, designed for institutional development, can be highlighted. More information about this program can be found at the following link: https://musem.marmara.edu.tr/programlar/kurumsal-egitim-programlari/surdurulebilirlik-egitim-programi.