The Marmara Urban Forum (MARUF25), organized in collaboration between the Union of Municipalities of Turkiye (UMT) and Marmara Municipalities Union (MMU), was held at the Haliç Congress Center in Istanbul from October 1 to 3.
Held biennially by the Marmara Municipalities Union under the motto “Cities Developing Solutions,” the Marmara Urban Forum convened for the fourth time this year. MARUF25, themed “On the Shore of All Possibilities,” aimed to explore solutions to the complex and multidimensional challenges facing cities today.
The forum featured a variety of sessions, panels, and collaborations on key topics including disaster management, the climate crisis, infrastructure and transportation, social inclusion, governance, sustainable development, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation.
Other stakeholders of the forum included the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, the Directorate for EU Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Istanbul Development Agency, UN-Habitat, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), WRI Turkiye Sustainable Cities, and Energy Cities, among many other national and international organizations and institutions.
UMT participated in MARUF25 with a booth and a panel session
A stakeholder of MARUF since its inaugural edition in 2019, UMT took part in MARUF25 with an 18-square-meter booth and a panel session titled “New Municipalism for Social Justice and Public Policy,” moderated by UMT Deputy Secretary General Dr. Şengül Altan Arslan.
The panel featured Prof. Dr. Akif Argun Akdoğan, Prof. Dr. Aslıhan Aykaç Yanardağ, and Prof. Dr. Çağlar Keyder, who discussed how local governance models are being redesigned to enhance social justice and implement inclusive public policies. Participants also explored the innovative role local governments can play in reducing inequalities and fostering democratic participation.