Consulting Case Study

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Project Summary

Kartal-Pendik Masterplan

Zaha Hadid Architects, London

Kartal Urban Development Association (led by Eczacibasi), Istanbul
IBB/IMP (Greater Istanbul Planning Authority), Istanbul
Ove Arup Engineers, London


The Kartal-Pendik waterfront regeneration plan is Turkey�s most important urban infrastructure project ever undertaken. Covering an area of 3.5 million sqm in eastern Istanbul, it is also one of the largest developments of its kind worldwide. The renowned Pritzker laureate (architecture�s �Nobel Prize�), Zaha Hadid, won the international competition to develop the project masterplan and dq|dx in turn were selected as economic sub-consultants to Zaha Hadid.

Kartal is vital to Turkey�s economic success. Istanbul is the country�s economic engine, but its mono-centric spatial model threatens to hold back its future growth. Kartal, designed to be the city�s next CBD, is the first and most important step in metropolitan decentralisation and will form the backbone of a sustainable poly-centric urban configuration.

�The project aims to be world class and so requires a team with an international focus and an international pedigree�, says Osman Kose, Director of Investment at DQDX. �We were delighted to have been selected despite stiff competition to provide consulting support to Zaha Hadid in our core market�. The research team at DQDX has led the project to prepare quantitative forecasting models for Kartal as a basis for developing economically sustainable land use strategies in the project area.

�Although we are first and foremost economists�, says Osman, �this isn�t simply an exercise in number crunching. Sustainability, cutting-edge design, technology and public policy all coalesce in this exciting project, making it truly multi-disciplinary. We have worked closely with Zaha Hadid, Arup and the IMP to develop substantial long-range predictive models for key urban sectors (residential, office, retail etc) to robust, analytical standards. We think Kartal will not only be in the vanguard in terms of design, but also in the research and analysis that underpins its urban planning!�.

Kartal is being closely watched throughout Turkey as it will provide the template for sustainable urban strategy and regeneration planned elsewhere in the country.