Istanbul Tackles Tourist Crowds and Climate Issues Together

Istanbul’s Caferağa neighborhood has a longstanding reputation for its cultural richness and historic charm. Quaint cafes, restaurants and bars line the sidewalks. A thriving arts scene draws an eclectic crowd. More than 2.3 million visitors daily flock to the district in which Caferağa resides — but it’s overwhelming the neighborhood’s small community of 22,000 residents.

“The streets of Caferağa are struggling to bear the weight they carry,” said Hanife Dağıstanlı, the neighborhood chief. “The sidewalks are too narrow and often blocked, and people are forced to step into the road just to keep moving.” This overcrowding has made it hard for locals to navigate daily life, especially those who are older, have disabilities or are traveling with children or strollers. At the same time, heavy traffic contributes to Istanbul’s worsening air pollution and discourages people from using cleaner travel options, like biking.

Caferağa is not alone. Popular cities around the world are seeking ways to balance the economic boon of tourism with residents’ needs and sustainability goals. Some (like Venice) now charge day-trippers an access fee to visit popular areas. Others (like Paris and Barcelona) are placing tighter restrictions on short-term rentals to curb tourism.

But Caferağa wanted to address its overcrowding differently: By collectively reimagining the neighborhood to be cleaner, safer and more livable for all.

In Caferağa, Urban Challenges Collide

While Caferağa is far from the only urban hub facing crowded sidewalks, polluted air and gridlocked streets, it makes a strong case study for better urban design.

The neighborhood is shaped like a peninsula, funneling travelers through just two main entry points and concentrating traffic along a narrow street network. It is also home to about twice as many older residents per capita as the national average, making safe and accessible mobility a high priority.

Meanwhile, residents in and around Caferağa are increasingly grappling with the dangers of extreme heat and air pollution as the planet warms. Istanbul’s summer heat waves are already worsening and could become much more severe in the years ahead. Traffic exhaust compounds the issue, making it more dangerous to be outside on hot days.

The government has taken note. Caferağa was recently designated as one of three pilot Low Emission Zones in Istanbul under the city’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan, which aims to address congestion, air quality issues and mobility challenges. Major cities like Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Madrid and Rome have seen success using similar low-emissions-zone strategies to curb emissions and improve mobility. Due to its higher population of older adults, the Kadıköy district (which houses Caferağa) was also included in Istanbul’s Street Transformation Program, which supports sustainable, people-friendly urban design.

But designating a neighborhood as a priority for transformation doesn’t mean the work is done. On the contrary: It’s only a starting point.

Creating a Livable City from the Ground Up

It started with a single square block. In September 2023, Caferağa temporarily transformed Mehmet Ayvalıtaş Square at the center of the neighborhood — a small but ambitious pilot project.

By temporarily restricting vehicles and using water-based paint and modular street furniture, pedestrians reclaimed the adjacent square. New benches and greenery created places to rest. Colorful crosswalks near the primary school improved safety and visibility. The usually vehicle-dominated space became, almost overnight, a vibrant gathering place for locals and visitors alike.

While temporary, the redesign caught residents’ attention and helped catalyze months of collaboration to reimagine Caferağa’s streets. Through discussions with the local government as well as researchers, NGOs and WRI Türkiye’s Deep Dive Cities team, the community landed on five core recommendations to improve quality of life and tackle sustainability issues simultaneously. All five are currently moving forward with the municipality at various stages of implementation.

1) Prioritizing pedestrian space

Stepping into the reimagined Mehmet Ayvalıtaş Square was a breath of fresh air for locals. The vibrant space stood in contrast to their typical experience navigating Caferağa’s narrow sidewalks — which, according to Emel Budak, an older resident, are so overrun with cafe tables and haphazardly parked scooters that “it is almost impossible for elderly or disabled individuals to pass through.”

The pilot project highlighted the need for designated pedestrian zones throughout the neighborhood. Residents recommended wider sidewalks, accessible ramps, and raised, visible crosswalks to make the district safer — especially for people with disabilities. 

Meanwhile, planting trees along major pedestrian routes would help improve air quality and cool the streets on hot days. Installing benches would create places to rest and socialize. And residents raised the need for tactile (textured) paving at places like crosswalks and curb edges to make it easier for those who are visually impaired to get around.

Collectively, these solutions can significantly improve walkability, comfort and safety. As the city begins to roll the changes out, residents will be able to provide continuous feedback through the municipality’s Accessible Kadıköy platform, which may help inform future improvements.

2) Making room for bikes and scooters

Caferağa’s size makes it well suited for cycling or scootering, which can help cut down on vehicle traffic. But the neighborhood lacks a connected network of lanes. Parking is also an issue: Dağıstanlı told us that she receives countless complaints from residents about bikes and scooters blocking already crowded sidewalks.

In response, Kadıköy Municipality plans to grow its network of bike lanes from 18 km to 58 km by 2050, while developing an e-bike sharing system and designated bike parking. 

Alongside addressing residents’ concerns around safety and accessibility, this will support the district’s broader sustainability efforts. With Kadıköy aiming for a 40% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 and full climate neutrality by 2050, infrastructure for electric and zero-carbon transportation is essential.

3) Creating a new local shuttle system

Caferağa is conveniently located near major transit hubs. However, it doesn’t have its own transportation system. This makes it difficult for people — especially caregivers and older residents — to navigate the neighborhood and access public transit like the metro system and ferry, which link Caferağa to the rest of the city.

Residents and the WRI Türkiye team proposed a new shuttle service for the neighborhood, called ModaBüs, to make local trips easier and provide connections to nearby transit centers. Kadıköy Municipality is now in the final planning stages, having worked closely with community members to identify 17 stop locations and assess proposed routes that will connect residential pockets with public spaces and transit points.

Set to launch in late 2025, ModaBüs will integrate with the wider public transport system — including metro, tram and ferry lines — providing first- and last-mile connectivity for the over 22,000 residents of Caferağa. It will operate free of charge for those with 65+ cards, disability cards, mother cards (which enable mothers to ride transport for free) and local residency documentation.

4) Developing a thoughtful approach to parking

With overcrowding at the core of Caferağa’s challenges, it’s not surprising that parking (or the lack thereof) emerged as a key issue. But rather than adding more parking — which residents recognized would only hike congestion and pollution — the community suggested sustainable management strategies. These include limiting on-street parking in commercial areas, installing digital systems for more effective regulation and enforcement, and prioritizing parking for residents.

Nuran Kansu, an older neighborhood resident who often struggles to find parking during special events like football matches, suggested that “transforming nearby schoolyards or other suitable open spaces into temporary parking areas during such occasions would provide significant relief for residents.” The community is also considering visitor parking fees to generate revenue that could support needed infrastructure upgrades and enforcement.

These proposals are still in the planning phase. Once approved, they will build on measures from Istanbul’s Low Emission Zone strategy. Caferağa is also limiting the number of non-resident vehicles that can pass through the area, especially during peak hours on evenings and weekends.

5) Optimizing local deliveries

Over 600 motorized delivery vehicles make their way around Caferağa each day, sustaining the community’s tourism and service industries. But during peak hours, trucks and couriers often stop in narrow streets and block sidewalks. Loud late-night and early-morning deliveries disturb residents.

Scheduling deliveries during off-peak hours, designating specific loading zones and strengthening enforcement would improve quality of life in the neighborhood. It would also make a meaningful dent in carbon emissions: WRI estimates that transitioning even 30% of Caferağa’s deliveries to electric or active transport (like bike couriers) could eliminate approximately 425 kg of CO2 emissions per week — roughly equivalent to eliminating 1,000 miles driven in a gas-powered car.

Taking inspiration from cities like London — where shifting to cargo bikes has reduced both delivery times and emissions — the community, including nearly 70% of local businesses, has expressed support for a comprehensive cargo bike delivery strategy for Caferağa. A pilot program is set to begin later in 2025.

Setting an Example Other Cities Can Follow

The changes proposed in Caferağa are not solely about infrastructure; they are about enhancing the quality of life for all residents.

These new strategies — and Caferağa’s process to develop them — offer insights for other urban areas facing similar challenges:

• Community involvement is key. Participatory and inclusive planning processes are essential to developing successful solutions. By helping local stakeholders and residents to understand the challenges, and working closely with them to identify solutions, Caferağa arrived at a framework that truly meets community needs. Through regular neighborhood meetings and via the district’s digital feedback platforms, residents will continue to shape and refine the improvements to their neighborhood.
• Testing out solutions and responding to feedback creates stronger buy-in. The pilot project implemented in Mehmet Ayvalıtaş Square invited community interaction and real-time feedback — and showed people what is possible through better street design. This effort catalyzed strong engagement from the beginning and added nuance to the final series of recommendations.
• The most successful solutions address multiple challenges at once. Working to address mobility needs, accessibility challenges and sustainability together can be more efficient and responsive to a community’s needs. For example, adding shade trees and greenery along sidewalks and cycle lanes simultaneously reduces urban heat, encourages walking and biking, and fosters a sense of community among residents. Comprehensive efforts to calm traffic will make the neighborhood safer, more navigable and ultimately more sustainable. 

Caferağa is one of Istanbul’s most unique and dynamic areas. But its struggles with overcrowding and pollution will only worsen if left alone. The neighborhood’s collaborative, iterative approach to addressing these challenges could set it on a better and more sustainable path — and inspire other neighborhoods to do the same. Now it’s time to bring this shared vision for a Livable Caferağa to life.