Major park in Erzene Neighborhood to be renewed based on residents’ demands

Bornova Municipality has taken action to give a modern new look to the 19 May 1919 Martyr Yavuz Dinler Park in Erzene Neighborhood, which includes a football pitch. The most notable aspect of the project is that the renovation will be shaped entirely according to the views, suggestions, and demands of neighborhood residents. After conducting a comprehensive inspection of the area, Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki emphasized participatory municipal governance, saying, “We will shape this area and the buildings within it according to the common opinion and overall preference of our residents.”

Residents will decide: A survey is underway

Bornova Municipality is implementing an exemplary initiative to adapt the city’s green spaces and social facilities to residents’ needs. The 19 May 1919 Martyr Yavuz Dinler Park, located at the heart of Erzene Neighborhood, and its football pitch will be completely renewed by listening to the local community. Bornova Municipality teams will conduct a comprehensive door-to-door survey throughout the neighborhood. Residents’ expectations regarding improvements, social facilities, and sports areas they would like to see in the park will be identified through this survey and will form the main framework of the project.

Mayor Eşki: “We will bring underused areas back into service through collective decision-making”

Inspecting the area together with his technical team ahead of the renovation project, Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki stated that they want to make the best possible use of the park and its surroundings. Noting that they had received complaints from residents regarding the old association building and other unused areas, Mayor Eşki said:

“We are in the area where the football pitch in Erzene Neighborhood is located. There used to be an association building here, but we have received complaints from local residents about both areas being left unused. Our residents have many different and valuable ideas for this important space, which is located in the middle of a densely populated residential area. As Bornova Municipality, we do not operate with a ‘we decided it, so it’s done’ approach. Instead, we act by understanding what our people want. Our teams will soon visit residents living in this area one by one and ask them how they would like this space to be used. Whatever the common opinion and overall preference of our residents indicate, we will shape the park, the football pitch, the association building, and their surroundings accordingly. Through participatory governance and collective decision-making, we will make this area available to the people of Bornova as soon as possible.”

A safe, modern, and vibrant park

As part of the renovation, numerous improvements will be considered based on the results of the surveys, ranging from children’s playgrounds and walking paths to enhancing green spaces and creating social facilities. Bornova Municipality aims not only to improve the park’s appearance, but also to transform it into a vibrant community hub where neighborhood culture can thrive, safety is prioritized, and residents of all ages can enjoy spending time together.