International Best of the Best: Team of the Year

Regulatory rigor: Every intervention had to meet strict preservation laws, limiting physical changes and requiring highly sensitive planning. 

Complex coordination: The team had to align multiple municipal units — from restoration and event management to maintenance — to work toward a single, unified vision. 

Heavy usage: Balancing the park’s intensive daily use for sports, fairs and recreation with the need for infrastructure upgrades required a flexible, step-by-step approach rather than quick fixes. 

Digital hydrology: Using a Digital Elevation Model created from 24,000 data points, the team mapped natural topography to identify drainage issues. This allowed for targeted, natural water management interventions that respect the park’s hydrology. 

Ecosystem services: By integrating carefully selected plant species, the team enhanced the park’s arboretum character. These improvements help combat the urban heat island effect, increase carbon sequestration and strengthen the park's biodiversity. 

Infrastructure renewal: The team successfully reinforced the park’s main pedestrian pathways, ensuring a sustainable and accessible layout with minimal, carefully designed adjustments to the historic routes. 

Green Flag accreditation: The team’s work led to Kültürpark securing its place among the world’s most distinguished 2,000 parks. 

Community ownership: Through direct engagement and participation in park activities, the team fostered a greater sense of shared responsibility among İzmir’s residents. 

Institutional growth: Managing multiple municipal requirements and heritage status strengthened the municipality’s institutional capacity, creating a flexible management framework that can adapt for future generations.