Urban Age Istanbul City Survey

Happy with their city and satisfied with their administration, Istanbul residents share some universal concerns

In a world of expert opinion, sometimes the voices of city residents are lost. Urban Age, a joint initiative of the London School of Economics and Political Science and Deutsche Bank’s Alfred Herrhausen Society, is releasing initial results from a commissioned city survey by Ipsos in Istanbul in preparation for the Urban Age Istanbul Conference in Istanbul, Turkey from 4-6 November 2009.

The Urban Age City Survey showcases an analysis and comparison of how the residents of Istanbul think about and are responding to the challenges of social inclusion, the environment, transport, security and urban governance. A detailed summary of the initial results by Ben Page, Chief Executive, Ipsos MORI UK and Ireland, highlights the survey’s major findings, and place it in a comparative context with Ipsos' previous studies for Urban Age in London and São Paulo.

KEY FINDINGS FOR ISTANBUL

• Top three reasons residents like Istanbul: job opportunities, health services and schools;
• Traffic congestion is the number one concern for Istanbul residents, followed by crime rates and the cost of living;
• Over 50% of residents said public transport is key to reducing congestion, with roughly two-thirds satisfied with the city’s metrobus, subway, tramway, ferries, trains and bus;
• Over 50% of residents walk as their primary means of travel;
• Only 7% said constructing more roads and highways would solve transport problems;
• Close to half the men interviewed said that their workplace was their main daily destination, while for women this figure is 13%;
• 74% of Istanbul residents are afraid of being mugged or physically attacked. This number is 47% in São Paulo, and 38% in London;
• Over 57% are aware of climate change, the top concern being water shortages (81%)
• 72% are already reducing water and energy consumption, nearly half are recycling waste;
• 65% are satisfied with local government, only 44% in London and 29% in São Paulo;
• Residents said the top three ways to improve the quality of life in Istanbul are by working on education, the environment and traffic.