Güven Sak, PhD - [Archive]

Why was he not using the sidewalk, you say? 16/11/2012 - Viewed 1799 times

Ankara will not become a developed city just because the municipality hangs advertisements on billboards everywhere claiming that it is indeed a developed city.

The other day this story was in the paper: “In the Ankara district of Keçiören Etlik,  on General Dr. Tevfik Sağlam Street, Nevzat Özyavuzer, in a battery-operated wheel chair, was hit by a garbage collection truck belonging to the Keçiören Municipality. Nevzat Özyavuzer, reportedly using the road because his vehicle could not access the sidewalks, was killed instantly.” This accident took place in a central part of Ankara.

The story says that visiting the family for his condolences, Keçiören Mayor asked Özyavuzer’s family why he had not been using the sidewalk and his parents replied, “have you ever seen the sidewalks in this neighborhood? How can one possibly use the sidewalks?” In response, the story goes, the mayor said, “Sidewalks are not the responsibility of the municipality alone.” For me, the catchphrases of the story are the question, “how can one possibly use the sidewalks?” and the Municipality of Bogota, which considers the issue to be the responsibility of a municipality. So, here is the million dollar question: why is it impossible to walk on Ankara’s sidewalks?

Ankara is the capital of Turkey, Bogota is the capital of Columbia. Their populations are 5 million and 8 million, respectively. Concerning development levels, Bogota is a developed city while Ankara is an underdeveloped one. In Bogota, Sunday is a “Car-Free Day”, when cars are banned on main arterial roads for seven hours so that the approximately 1.5 people can freely and easily wander on the streets. In Ankara, on the other hand, all wandering has to be done in shopping malls. Bogota had a transformation by fighting against cars and developing alternative ways of transportation. Building sidewalks on which one can actually walk is one of the main pillars of the program. The Municipality of Bogota has given priority to public transportation systems and walkable sidewalks. In Ankara, on the other hand, has accidentally built sidewalks to be for cars to park on. No one ever considers fining people who park their cars on sidewalks. In Bogota, in contrast, the municipality bans cars from the streets.

So, why is it impossible to walk on Ankara’s sidewalks? Here is why: Bogota prioritizes people’s happiness, but Ankara prioritizes generating and distributing urban rents. This is our concept of municipal work.

Happiness: the ultimate goal

I liked Bogota mayor Enrique Penalosa’s recent speech at Jakarta the most: “We must build cities for children, not for cars. Instead of building motorways, we have restricted car use.

We used our resources car-free roads, parks, bicycle paths and libraries. We removed billboards and planted trees instead. We worked for one goal: happiness.” How could no one in Turkey consider doing this instead of making a horrifying advertisement on obesity awareness? I believe that especially from now on, cities in which people come across on the streets and mingle easily will be more conducive to economic development. Developed cities will be of higher importance for a developed economy.

I invite those who have wondered why Nevzat Özyavuzer was not using the sidewalks to walk on one in Anıttepe right across from Atatürk’s mausoleum. I witnessed the other day that the sidewalks were used as parking lots. Pedestrians, some with a kid holding each hand, were trying to walk on the main road while keeping an eye on the traffic rush.

So, how many years did it take for Bogota to complete its transformation? Surprisingly, just in 1995, with Antonus Mockus, professor of mathematics. The transformation process is ongoing with Enrique Penalosa. Approximately, it has taken seventeen years. And how about Ankara? Ankara will not become a developed city just because the municipality hangs advertisements on billboards everywhere claiming that it is indeed a developed city.

This commentary was published in Radikal daily on 16.11.2012