Work has begun on the 5-Year Strategic Plan for Tomorrow’s Adana.

In the previous term, Zeydan Karalar, the Mayor of Adana Metropolitan Municipality, took over a municipality drowning in debt and turned it into an entity capable of providing massive services without debt, raising the imbalance of 4 lira debt to 1 lira income to a level of 4 lira income to 1 lira debt. While creating a strategic plan, he is organizing a series of meetings and workshops to work in the light of science with the participation of all the dynamics of the city.

The first meeting, aimed at making Adana a more livable and modern city, promoting its natural, cultural, and historical beauties, enhancing its gastronomy, increasing the city’s tourism power, and multiplying the service capacity of Adana Metropolitan Municipality, was held at the Yüreğir Culture Center.

Adana Metropolitan Municipality has started working to create a “5-Year Strategic Plan for Tomorrow’s Adana” under the slogan “Determine the Future of the City Yourself”.

The meeting was attended by Zeydan Karalar, the Mayor of Adana Metropolitan Municipality, bureaucrats from the Metropolitan Municipality, managers of various non-governmental organizations, academics, representatives from professional chambers, and various institutions and organizations.

After a presentation introducing dozens of projects and services that the Adana Metropolitan Municipality will implement in the current term, Mayor Zeydan Karalar stated that they have embarked on a journey for a wealthier, safer, and more enjoyable Adana.

Expressing their desire to create an extraordinary Strategic Plan and that they are taking action for such a comprehensive and detailed Strategic Plan for the first time in Turkey, Mayor Zeydan Karalar noted that they are working with very important scientists, combining theory and practice.

After the first meeting, Mayor Zeydan Karalar announced that they would conduct separate meetings with chambers, media, politicians, and different segments of the city to work on the Strategic Plan, stating, “We need to think and plan for Tomorrow’s Adana. We want Adana to be wealthier and economically stronger. Ensuring that our city is safer and more enjoyable is also among our goals. Of course, we desire a strong municipality alongside all of this. Otherwise, it would not be possible to realize our objectives.”

Mayor Zeydan Karalar explained that the Strategic Plan is a legal obligation but has not turned into a very functional document in planning the activities of their municipality: “The reason for this is that the process has not been sufficiently understood or embraced. Problems arise because the activities that are thought of, needed, and promised with Strategic Plans cannot be consistently conceptualized first by the municipality and then by society. Therefore, we aim to plan and conceptualize all of this. We start by transforming all priority activities planned into a roadmap for the Adana of five years from now. In the simplest terms, we aim for this path to lead to a wealthy, safe, and enjoyable Adana. We know that reaching such an Adana can only be realized through an administration that has structured its operations, improved inter-departmental coordination, and developed personnel, financial, and information management systems; thus, we set the strong Adana as an additional goal before us.”

Noting that a mayor cannot remain indifferent to the poor economic conditions experienced across the country and cannot expect everything from the central government, Mayor Zeydan Karalar said, “One of the main agenda items in the next five years will be ensuring that our fellow citizens have access to resources to meet their basic needs in a manner befitting human dignity and can access financial means more comfortably through education, information, and access services. A municipality that can provide these services more effectively and efficiently will make this possible with the ongoing projects. We aim for Adana to become a city that has reduced social and administrative absence and poverty, and has become wealthier in five years.”

Emphasizing the impact of ruthless and unscientific behavior towards nature in recent disasters, Mayor Zeydan Karalar continued: “We see that disasters such as floods, fires, and earthquakes are frequently experienced in our country, and there is a concentration of loss of life and property. Making Adana resilient and prepared for all kinds of disasters is one of our most important goals.”

Mayor Zeydan Karalar underlined that living is not just about survival, stating, “A city like Adana, which has strong social and cultural aspects, extraordinary natural beauties, environmental and cultural history, and social life, cannot settle for just making life possible. Providing opportunities that residents enjoy, can develop themselves, and enhance their knowledge and skills is also among our municipality’s goals.”

Stating that they aim for a stronger municipality to achieve their goals, Mayor Zeydan Karalar said, “To realize all of this, we aim for a stronger municipality. It is also a fact that we need to use our municipal institutional resources more effectively and efficiently and make arrangements that will increase our current capacity to create the Adana we dream of. The last part of our Strategic Plan will encompass the arrangements we have identified as necessary for administrative structure and operation in the upcoming period, ensuring that we have a stronger municipality to carry Adana to where it deserves.”

In the final part of his speech, Mayor Zeydan Karalar detailed, point by point, what they would do for a wealthy, safe, and enjoyable Adana.

Then, the workshop section of the first meeting was commenced.

SERVICES PLANNED BY ADANA METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY TO IMPLEMENT IN THIS TERM:
– New Generation Bus Station
– Tram Line and Nostalgic Tram
– 2nd Stage Metro Line
– 8 New Different Level Intersections-Underpasses
– 4 New Boulevards
– New Bridges
– Adana Sports Campus
– Çukurova Sports Campus
– Sarıçam Olympic Swimming Pool
– Cultural and Art Center
– Beyazevler and Kurttepe City Libraries
– Earthquake Action Plan
– Disaster Coordination Center
– Earthquake-Resistant Social Housing
– 4 New Parks
– Accessible Valley Recreation Area
– Neighborhood Centers
– Elderly Living and Care Center
– Total number of nurseries will increase to 20
– New Wedding Halls
– Student Dormitory
– Addiction Combat and Rehabilitation Center
– Yedigöze Drinking Water Project
– 6 New Wastewater Treatment Plants
– Restoration of Historical Buildings with 4 New Museums
– Pudu Hepa Cultural Route Mapping and Signage Work
– Karataş and Yumurtalık Coastal Projects
– Agricultural Institute
– Modern Mezhaba
– Recycling and Transportation Site.