Türkiye İMSAD Comments on Urban Transformation Action Plan

Türkiye İMSAD issued a statement regarding the "New Roadmap for Urban Transformation" shared with the public by Environment and Urbanisation Minister Murat Kurum.

Türkiye İMSAD Chairman Ferdi Erdoğan: "Urban Transformation Action Plan will accelerate 'strengthening' work"

Türkiye İMSAD Board Chairman Ferdi Erdoğan said: "We must act with the awareness that in Turkey, the risk comes not from earthquakes themselves but from unsafe structures, and we must accelerate 'strengthening' work included in the Urban Transformation Action Plan. Although the 8th article of the Action Plan refers to buildings under amnesty provisions, we must not overlook the model of strengthening existing zoned buildings or demolishing and rebuilding them." Türkiye İMSAD (Building Materials Manufacturers Association) Board Chairman Ferdi Erdoğan, noting that it is a very important step that the Urban Transformation Action Plan explains that legislative work will be undertaken to enable citizens to strengthen the structures they live in against earthquake risk and that 50,000 housing units can be strengthened annually, spoke as follows:

"It is very important that Environment and Urbanisation Minister Murat Kurum, who announced that 1.5 million housing units requiring urgent transformation will be transformed within 5 years, also emphasizes that 50,000 housing units can be strengthened annually."

Urban transformation implemented according to the 'Reconstruction of Areas Under Disaster Risk' law enacted in 2012 actually began anew with the 'Turkey Building Earthquake Code' that entered into force in 2019. In the Urban Transformation Action Plan announced yesterday, it was stated that citizens will be granted strengthening permits for existing structures, and within this framework, 50,000 housing units can be strengthened annually. As Türkiye İMSAD, we emphasize at every platform that the solution of strengthening buildings against earthquakes in the urban transformation process must be properly evaluated, and that we can be prepared for earthquakes without demolishing buildings. Although the 8th article of the Urban Transformation Action Plan refers to buildings under amnesty provisions, we must not forget the model of first evaluating existing zoned buildings in this respect, then either strengthening them or demolishing and rebuilding them. Unlike European Union member states, we see that in our country located in the earthquake zone, strengthening and renewal work has been neglected and we have fallen behind Europe. In recent years in Europe, where it is technically possible even if not economical, the strengthening and renewal approach is being adopted instead of demolition and reconstruction. Through strengthening and renewal work, we can be prepared for earthquakes without demolishing buildings. Work internationally called 'Deep Renovation' and in our country referred to as 'Deep Renewal' encompasses the renewal of every element of a structure from its strengthening, exterior façade, interior finishing to its pipes and facilities. 'Deep Renewal' actually includes strengthening, air conditioning, heating-cooling, lighting and fire safety as well as energy efficiency. Moreover, in today's world where energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions have become increasingly important, we do not need to manage waste by turning the building itself into waste, that is, by converting the building to rubble first and then rebuilding it. It is possible to renew all existing buildings and even convert them to green buildings. Therefore, in the period we are in, renewal work will also provide citizens with safe and healthy structures."