Water-Sensitive Urban Design in Istanbul: An Ecological Corridor Framework from the Ömerli Basin to the Tuzla Coastal Zone

Abstract

Water-related hazards in urban environments are intensifying due to rapid urbanization and
climate change, with flash-flood risks increasingly evident in Istanbul. Conventional gray
infrastructure alone cannot adequately address the interconnected hydrological and ecological
pressures affecting metropolitan landscapes. This study develops a GIS-based Water-Sensitive
Urban Design (WSUD) framework for the Ömerli Basin–Tuzla corridor, integrating flood
vulnerability assessment, urban pressure evaluation, and ecological connectivity modeling
through multi-criteria evaluation and the Minimum Cumulative Resistance model. The
analysis identifies spatial conflict zones where flood exposure, urban development pressure,
and ecological fragmentation converge, revealing a pronounced north–south gradient across
the corridor. Based on these findings, a corridor-scale blue–green infrastructure framework is
proposed to guide targeted nature-based interventions. The study contributes to metropolitan
scale WSUD research by demonstrating how integrated territorial analysis can support
spatially differentiated planning and climate-resilient urban development in rapidly urbanizing
coastal regions.