Through protection, restoration, and participation of the water sources in daily life, the project aims to develop a design scheme that is based on the waterline(s), shaping Tuzla’s natural landscape and lifestyle while connecting it to its historical and cultural roots. Following the route of Tuzla’s Umur Stream and harmonizing green patches between the lake and the sea, the project establishes a looping framework that defines the urban, ecological and infrastructural design to reconnect the city and the ecosystem through careful interventions. 

Elements include 8.9km of cycleways, conversion of 11,000 square meters of pathway surface from asphalt to a permeable green surface, together with habitat restoration, runoff water filtering via bioswales, and creating nesting areas for fauna. Discovering non-invasive socio-ecological encounters, it aims to develop socio-cultural density without being necessarily urban, and envisions to provide a mutually harmonized common habitat balancing human use, ecological processes and natural preservation.

Project status: Under construction (commenced June 2022).

The project was recognized for standing as a transformative force within this region, grappling with the challenges posed by rapid urbanization and industrialization. The jurors were deeply struck by the comprehensive and meticulously crafted nature of the project that emerges as a complete ecosystem of regeneration, seamlessly integrating a scheme for revitalization, a dynamic program layout, and a deeply engaged community framework. The approach used to restore Tuzla’s dynamic identity through a profound reverence for “water” as a shared heritage of both nature and humanity, was highly regarded. The jury applauded how narrative threads of this heritage are meticulously traced through a vibrant ecological belt, an innovative circulatory loop, and a socially dynamic network. Central to the project’s essence is the incorporation of co-design participatory processes, which was particularly appreciated. This inclusive approach led to a diverse influx of feedback from the local community, which was  recognized as crucial for the project’s success. 

Additionally, the jury commended the exceptional level of detail of the proposal encompassing a number of elements from landscape architecture and water management to mobility infrastructure and public amenities. Overall, the project’s impact transcends its blueprint, emerging as a beacon of transformation within a region marred by challenges. Its embrace of co-design, meticulous attention to various facets, and its restorative approach to land all combine to signify its remarkable potential in revitalizing the local ecosystem and nurturing vibrant, sustainable communities.