İstiklal Street ; How Is İstiklal Street Leading Istanbul’s Transition to Sustainable Urban Mobility?
Sustainable Mobility in Istiklal street, Istanbul, Turkey
In recent years, İstiklal Street in Istanbul has improved a lot. Streets that were once full of cars are now open to pedestrians, making the area safer and nicer to walk. The pedestrianization of İstiklal Street, together with the metro and less traffic on nearby streets, made walking easier and helped the area grow. The city also built bike and scooter lanes along the sea, so people can move around easily or rent one if they don’t have their own. Arslanlı et al., 2017
When a street becomes pedestrian-only, it becomes a lively place filled with the sounds of people talking, sellers calling out, music playing, and the tram moving through. Gehl, 1971 (Life Between Buildings)
People often take the Metrobus to avoid traffic, and Istanbul can become more sustainable by adding more bike lanes and electric buses to reduce pollution. To create sustainable transport in Istanbul, we need less car use, more public transport and cycling, and cleaner energy sources. Turoń, 2025
Written and produced by Fatemeh Fahimi
A video providing further details is available at our Instagram page: @maurbandesign
References
• Arslanlı, K.Y., Dökmeçi, V. & Kolcu, H., 2017. The effect of the pedestrianization of İstiklal Caddesi on land values and the transformation of urban land use.
• Gehl, J., n.d. Life Between Buildings, p.167.
• Turoń, K., 2025. Sustainable Urban Mobility Transitions—From Policy to Practice. MDPI.
Images and Videos
Short 1: Walk With Me in Turkey (2025). 🇹🇷 Istanbul Istiklal to Galata Tower 4K Walk | Daytime City Life & Street Vibes 2025. [online] Youtu.be. Available at: https://youtu.be/h9yfognWK2g?si=G4dSPzjWUFm6yInv [Accessed 17 Nov. 2025].
Short 2: Ceylin (2021). İstiklal Caddesi | Istiklal Street | Walking Tour In The Beating heart Of Istanbul. [online] Youtu.be. Available at: https://youtu.be/wvKTytNIa-M?si=aKwwlqVkHXnJSBD6 [Accessed 17 Nov. 2025].
Short 3 & 5: Shima & Emre’s Journey (2022). Istiklal Street, Taksim Square, Istanbul, Türkiye. [online] Youtu.be. Available at: https://youtu.be/J7Ppy7PqJOQ?si=_ecRZuWWbXG_FIL3 [Accessed 17 Nov. 2025].
Short 4 (Image): eskiistanbul_foto (2025) ‘Post on 18 January 2025’ [Instagram]. 18 January. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/DE9AslPo3wM/?igsh=MTV1M3diMXFjNTVqaw== (Accessed: 17 November 2025).
Short 6 (Image) & Short 7-8-9-10-11 & Short 12 (Image) : Fahimi, F. (2025) Personal photographs and videos, Private collection. Not for reuse.
Background: Soft-toned graphic illustration of Istanbul’s Istiklal Avenue, horizontal composition. Vintage red tram in foreground, muted beige architecture, hazy silhouettes of pedestrians, calm atmospheric lighting, subdued color palette. Source background: ChatGPT.
