MMU Launches Global Street Design Guide in Turkish

Internationally-acclaimed urban design resource, endorsed by 56 cities worldwide, is now available in Turkish, making the tools for safer, more sustainable, and more vibrant streets accessible to more city leaders and practitioners around the world.

The Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI), a program of the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), released the Turkish translation of the Global Street Design Guide. Originally published by Island Press and released in 2016 by NACTO-GDCI, with funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Guide was translated into Turkish with support from Marmara Municipalities Union.

The Global Street Design Guide was created with the input of experts from 72 cities in 42 countries and offers international case studies and technical details to inform street design that prioritizes pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders.

 “Streets are one of our largest untapped assets in cities and we have an incredible opportunity to reimagine and redesign these spaces to serve so many more people and functions than they do today,” said Skye Duncan, Director of GDCI. “Change can be hard for cities to face but this guide facilitates that change by offering real-world solutions and practical strategies to support more resilient and sustainable streets that improve health, safety, and quality of life for everyone in a fair & equitable way.”

“We have to rethink street design and act collectively in order to achieve healthy, sustainable and vibrant streets.” said Tahir Büyükakın, Mayor of Kocaeli and President of Marmara Municipalities Union. “The Global Street Design Guide inspires us with different case studies from all around the world and reminds us the importance of learning from each other. This guide is a leading resource for local governments to increase quality of life of their citizens”

Since its release, the guide has been endorsed by 56 cities, 48 organizations, two regions, and one country, and it has been downloaded more than 32,000 times from NACTO-GDCI’s website. For city leaders and practitioners, endorsing the guide can serve as a “permission slip,” enabling them to shift their approach to urban street design, and to better align their strategies with global agendas such as the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” by addressing intersecting issues such as transportation, planning, disaster risk reduction, environmental impact, and public space.

Support for this translation was made possible by the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS). Translations of the Guide are also available in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Mandarin. 

The Turkish translation of the Global Street Design Guide is available for free download at https://globaldesigningcities.org/publication/global-street-design-guide-tr/

About the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)

NACTO is an association of 89 major North American cities and transit agencies formed to exchange transportation ideas, insights, and practices and cooperatively approach national transportation issues. The organization’s mission is to build cities as places for people, with safe, sustainable, accessible, and equitable transportation choices that support a strong economy and vibrant quality of life. To learn more, visit nacto.org.

About the NACTO Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI)

Launched in 2014 as a program of the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), the Global Designing Cities Initiative focuses on transforming streets to inspire safe, sustainable, and healthy cities. GDCI’s work is informed by the strategies and international best practices captured in the Global Street Design Guide. To learn more, visit globaldesigningcities.org.