Sustainability and Well-being
The Sustainability and Wellbeing cluster extends from IPC’s Urbanization and Local Governance program, broadening IPC’s focus on urban transformation to include the environmental, social, cultural, and economic aspects of sustainable development.
Based on nearly a decade of research on Turkey’s urban dynamics, local governance, migration, socioeconomic inequality, and the effects of globalization, IPC’s research now takes a wider, future-focused approach to the challenges and opportunities of sustainable living in an age marked by rapid urbanization and planetary pressures.
Within this cluster, IPC explores the changing relationship between people, cities, and the environment, with a special focus on climate resilience, sustainable food systems, cultural heritage, urban governance, demographic shifts, and social inclusion. It examines how local and regional contexts—particularly in Anatolian cities—are influenced by global trends, and how these contexts, in turn, shape policy decisions, community experiences, and quality of life.
Through public programs like Minerva Talks, Reading Istanbul in Literature, and From Farm to Table: Food, Culture and Politics, along with collaborative events such as The Urban Future of Humanity, IPC views sustainability not just as a technical or policy issue but as a cultural, social, and ecological experience. These activities showcase the connection between urban history, current urban life, food and agriculture, migration, cultural production, and environmental change.
Additionally, IPC contributes to the public discourse in this area through publications such as Zappa Zamanlar: IPC Special Series, published monthly in Aposto and on our website, which links sustainability themes with broader political, economic, and global developments. By combining research, public engagement, and interdisciplinary dialogue, IPC’s work on Sustainability aims to provide actionable insights for policymakers, local governments, civil society, and communities, helping create a more livable, resilient, and just future.
#Sustainability | #SustainableDevelopment | #Well-being | #SocialPolicies | #JustTransition
Sounds of Istanbul – The City's Moods: Music with Bulutsuzluk Özlemi
Istanbul Policy Center (IPC) is launching a new panel series titled “Sounds of Istanbul,” coordinated by Orhan Tekelioğlu and Alper Kaliber.
ActHuman VIII: Advisory Board Meeting on Child Well-Being and Inequalities in Türkiye
In its eighth year, the ActHuman Social Inclusion Initiative, jointly conducted by IPC and İNGEV, focused on child well-being and the multidimensional inequalities affecting children in Türkiye. As part of the study, coordinated and reported by Prof. Dr. Feyza Çorapçı, the ActHuman VIII Advisory Board Meeting was held online on September 29. The meeting addressed education, health and nutrition, income inequality and support for families, participation in social life, and inter-institutional cooperation, with a particular focus on developing concrete social policy recommendations.
Minerva Talks: Istanbul in History - The Transition from Traditional to Modern Sound in Istanbul (1800–1930)
IPC and Tarih Vakfı continue to organize the monthly “Minerva Talks: Istanbul in History (Minerva Konuşmaları: Tarihte İstanbul)” series. The discussion titled “The Transition from Traditional to Modern Sound in Istanbul (1800–1930) (İstanbul'da Geleneksel Ses Alanından Modern Ses Alanına Geçiş (1800-1930) )” was delivered by Mustafa Avcı and moderated by Ayşe Köse Badur and Ayşe Ozil on June 3 at IPC Karaköy.
From Farm to Table—Craftsmanship, the Commons, and the Future of Food
IPC organized the event "From Farm to Table—Craftsmanship, the Commons, and the Future of Food (Tarladan Sofraya: Yemek, Kültür ve Siyaset Söyleşileri—Zanaatkârlık, Müşterekler ve Gıdanın Geleceği)," which was held with the participation of Aylin Örnek and Didem Mahsunlar as speakers and Zafer Yenal as moderator on May 18 at IPC Karaköy.
Reading Istanbul in Literature - Two Women, Two Istanbuls: Plurality, Representation and Division at Endless Carnival
IPC organized the event “Reading Istanbul in Literature - Two Women, Two Istanbuls: Plurality, Representation and Division at Endless Carnival (İki Kadın, İki İstanbul: Sonsuz Panayır'da Çoğulluk, Temsil ve Ayrışma)” which featured Cemile Odunkıran as speaker and Seval Şahin as moderator on April 21 at IPC Karaköy.
Book Launch: The Intergenerational Transmission of Violence in 100 Questions: A Psychoanalytic Approach
IPC organized the book launch for "The Intergenerational Transmission of Violence in 100 Questions: A Psychoanalytic Approach (100 Soruda Şiddetin Kuşaklararası Aktarımı: Psikanalitik Yaklaşım)," which featured Tevfika İkiz, Ayşe Sena Sarı, Kristin Şeğikoğlu, Gülnur Takış and Başak Çelik as speakers and was moderated by Seval Şahin, on April 17 at IPC Karaköy.
ActHuman
The ActHuman Social Inclusion Initiative, jointly implemented by Istanbul Policy Center (IPC) and the Human Development Foundation (INGEV), aims to promote social inclusion and develop policy solutions to address social inequalities in Türkiye. Focusing on a different social issue each year, the initiative brings together academic research, expert insights, and stakeholder dialogue to contribute to the development of actionable social policy recommendations.
Nebi Sümer
Social Psychology Studies Coordinator, Senior Scholar
Zafer Yenal
Sustainability and Food Security Studies Coordinator, Senior Scholar