BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 19. Housing policy must be viewed not only as the construction of buildings, but as the creation of a full-fledged urban environment that ensures well-being and social sustainability, said Cemil Arslan, Secretary General of the Marmara Municipalities Union of Türkiye, Trend reports.
He made the remark during a panel discussion titled "Launching the Barcelona Metropolitan Declaration: Bold Commitments to Addressing the Housing Crisis at a Metropolitan Scale" held within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku.
"Housing should not be seen as a privilege. It is a fundamental right of every human being," he said.
According to Arslan, the Marmara Region covers only 9% of Türkiye's territory but accounts for approximately 30% of the country's population.
"Istanbul alone is home to about 16 million people. At the same time, the metropolitan areas of the region are closely interconnected," he noted.
He cited Istanbul's water supply system as an example of this dependency on neighboring metropolitan areas.
"Istanbul receives water from Sakarya and Tekirdag. Without these two metropolitan areas, it is impossible to secure the water supply for the city's residents," Arslan emphasized.
According to him, a similar interdependence exists across transport and industrial sectors.
"Around 200,000 trucks move daily between Istanbul, Kocaeli, Tekirdag, and Sakarya. Without taking the linkages between these territories into account, it is impossible to effectively resolve transport, housing, and social issues," he stated.
Arslan informed that the Marmara Municipalities Union is currently developing a strategic program for the region's spatial development, bringing together around 200 municipalities.
Speaking on housing policy, he noted that building houses alone does not guarantee a high quality of life.
"Following the devastating earthquake in Türkiye three years ago, which affected 11 cities and about 14 million people, 450,000 residential buildings are being constructed in the country. However, building housing does not automatically mean creating well-being, social safety, and a comfortable living environment," Arslan said.
According to him, tackling such challenges requires coordinated action between municipalities, international organizations, and state bodies.
He also announced that the EMA Forum will be held in Istanbul in October this year, focusing on the role of metropolitan areas in global policy and climate risks related to water resources.
"Under the conditions of the climate crisis, metropolitan areas must pay special attention to the issues of water scarcity, flooding, and the associated social and environmental risks," Arslan added.
The third day of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) is underway in Baku.
On the first day, a ministerial meeting dedicated to the New Urban Agenda, a roundtable of ministers, assemblies of women and civil society, business sessions, and discussions on urban well-being were held. A ceremony for raising the flags of the United Nations and Azerbaijan also took place within the framework of the forum.
The second day of the forum drew attention with the first-ever Leaders Summit. High-level discussions on the global housing crisis, urbanization policy, and urban resilience were held that day. At the same time, the Mexico City pavilion was inaugurated within the framework of WUF13. The pavilion was presented as an important platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin American region and preparing for WUF14.
WUF13, which has attracted more than 40,000 registered participants from 182 countries, will continue until May 22. Held under the theme “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities,” the forum brings together governments, international organizations, experts, and representatives of civil society to strengthen global cooperation in the field of sustainable urban development.
