Forced transition: From gecekondus to gated communities

Text  by Isabella Balanchi – Photo by Moa Aulanko – The houses in Gülsuyu and Gülensu stand on a hill with steep streets and a view of both the skyscrapers of Istanbul and the twinkling turquoise Marmara Sea. The smell of jasmine flowers mixes with a vague smell of chickens and trash. Some of the houses are neat-looking and painted in bright colours, others are … Continue reading Forced transition: From gecekondus to gated communities

“It is not a question if it will happen, but when it will happen”

Text and photo by Jesse Hattink –  Earthquakes happen all around the world and can cause a lot of damage.  There is a 70 % probability that an earthquake will hit Istanbul in the next 20 years . How does the municipality prepare for this, and is it even possible to prepare?  Kandilli observatory in Istanbul monitors earthquakes all over Turkey. to do this they … Continue reading “It is not a question if it will happen, but when it will happen”

Shop till you drop in the Istanbul night

Text and photo by Nina de Groot –  In Istanbul, the shopping experience is one of a kind, as most shops in the tourist areas close after midnight. In this big city in Turkey the life does not stop, and the streets of Istanbul do not sleep at night.  Walking around in the streets of Besiktas in Istanbul, it is noticeable that there are a … Continue reading Shop till you drop in the Istanbul night

Working together with Nature

By Jaimy Witbraad Climate change is happening and the discussion around it takes many causative agents. With new policies on reducing CO2 emissions and a rising interest in vegan food, farmers need to change their ways. These ways lead to higher bills and many concerns for farmers. Luckily there is a solution: regenerative farming. The origin of the current farming systems we work with lies … Continue reading Working together with Nature

Meals of Tomorrow

By Lola Bessa The way we perceive, and experience food is of great importance. We need food to survive and therefore eat approximately two kilos of food a day. There are more foods than ever before and that’s why the future of the food system is more thrilling than ever.  What do you think of when you think about your favourite food? Is it healthy? … Continue reading Meals of Tomorrow

Thrifting a new self

By Melisa Salas It has been over a year since the world erupted into a state of chaos. It was scary, yet considered as a positive thing by many people. For many people, a national lockdown meant we got the time to reflect more on ourselves and grow as a person. On the 19th of March, three of my best friends and I were on … Continue reading Thrifting a new self

Time to press the green reset button

While the economy and businesses are rushing to return to normality, the Planet is in no hurry for pollution levels to rise again. It is about time we gave normality a green re-evaluation. By Veronica Kontopoulou It is May 2020; the air and water qualities have improved dramatically; the Himalayas are visible from Indian balconies for the first time in decades and videos of wildlife … Continue reading Time to press the green reset button

Heavy storm brings Istanbul to a halt

A North-Eastern storm has caused a lot of problems in Istanbul on Monday and Tuesday. Heavy showers and winds did significant damage to trees and homes, and several ferries on the Bosporus got into trouble, while one airport had to be closed temporarily. This disrupted the daily lives of residents and tourists in the city.   Text and photos by Bart Jacobs Due to the … Continue reading Heavy storm brings Istanbul to a halt

“We need to think bigger than just saying no to plastic straws”

By Natasha Jahanshahi Package free shops are popping up all over London. The Zero Waste movement is growing in the city as more and more people are trying to reduce their waste – or live completely waste free. Whenever Alex Furey leaves his flat in south London he makes sure to pack a few essentials in his bag; a reusable coffee cup, a wooden cutlery … Continue reading “We need to think bigger than just saying no to plastic straws”

Setting sails for seven weeks at sea

AMSTERDAM – A group of young Europeans said goodbye to friends and family before leaving shore and sailing from Amsterdam to Chile for the COP25 to call for a future of climate-neutral travel. By Natasha Jahanshahi A young man with wavy, shoulder-length hair is making large movements with his arms, as he is folding a bright red accordion in and out. He stomps his foot … Continue reading Setting sails for seven weeks at sea