Istanbul Medeniyet University is aware of the importance of sustainable cities today. It raises awareness on this issue through environmental and sustainable development trainings in partnership with non-governmental organizations.
IMU Sustainability Office, in collaboration with IMU Sustainability Club, organized a workshop on designing a sustainable city on Thursday, December 21, 2023, as part of the “3rd Istanbul Medeniyet University Sustainability Week” activities. In the workshop, which was led by Kadıköy Climate Ambassadors, the participants played “Combine Blue and Green“, an ecological urban design game in which the they questioned the effects of energy efficiency, environmental issues and the effects of these issues on the city while designing a city and discussed how solutions can be developed against these effects. Held at Istanbul Medeniyet University Ziraat Bank Library Foyer Area, the workshop was open to the participation of all Istanbul Medeniyet University students, staff and the public. Through this workshop, IMU aimed to raise awareness not only for the campus community but also for the local community by providing them with climate education. The workshop was attended by 12 participants.
The workshop started with theoretical training given to the participants by Kadıköy Climate Ambassadors. In this training, the trainors talked about the development of human settlements from past to present, as well as problems such as unplanned urbanization, transportation problems, environmental pollution and air pollution that cities often face today. Along with these problems, they also emphasized the importance of designing sustainable buildings in the face of increasing climate change and greenhouse gas emission effects in the world, as well as the importance of energy efficient buildings, waste management in cities and the correct positioning of green areas in urban design.
In the second part of the workshop, the participants were introduced to a sustainable and ecological urban design game called “Combine Blue and Green” and the rules of the game were explained. Participants designed a city by placing public spaces, transportation routes, public transportation stops, waste management center, energy production center, residential areas in an empty space. During the placement of each unit, the positive and negative effects of this unit on the city were discussed.
The workshop ended with the participants describing the sustainable city they designed through the group spokesperson.
About the Game: Combine Blue and Green is an urban design game that deals with environmental and ecological issues under many different headings, from energy efficiency to waste management; from biodiversity to green spaces; from recycling to transportation network. The game addresses how changing climate conditions affect our living spaces and helps us understand what kind of solutions we can develop against climate-induced changes.
In the game, participants are asked to recreate the city by placing playing cards consisting of city components on the map. At the end of the game, the sustainable cities designed in groups are described by the spokesperson chosen within the group.
