“More than 1,8 billion people across the world do not have a home to live in”

Cyprus International University (CIU) Faculty of Fine Arts, Design, and Architecture (FADA) Vice Dean Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cemil Atakara, speaking within the scope of World Architecture Day said, “According to UN-Habitat, more than 1,8 billion people across the world do not have a home to live in, although housing is the fundamental right of each individual”.

Advising that this year on the 4th October, World Architecture Day will be celebrated with the theme “Clean environment for a healthy world”, which was determined by the International Union of Architects (UIA), Atakara noted that when it comes to the clean environment for a healthy world theme, the UIA focused upon 3 basic areas, and in doing so, aimed to contribute to the 2030 global development agenda.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Atakara advised that the areas included within the 2030 global development agenda were determined as housing, public spaces, and their relationship with climate change.

Explaining that especially due to the continuing pandemic, public areas have been placed under the lens, Atakara went on to say, “We will all together observe how public areas will take shape in the near future. Together with a number of new organized changes, public spaces need to find life with the mentality of a clean environment”.

Adding that with the sewage waters flowing into the seas in our country, the building constructions that are being built without concern for the environment and nature, added to the climate change, all pose a great threat, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Atakara continued, “It is important for architects designing the built environment to design buildings that are suitable for the topography, that protect the green, will not cause erosion, and that will keep carbon emissions to a minimum level”.

Atakara stated that local governments should also take part in such efforts, and shared the following information, "Planning in the city should be done in a way so traffic will not be created, there should be an increase in green areas and parks, in consideration of environmental factors, any mechanisms creating garbage, sound, and visual pollution should be disabled, and it is expected for them to bring to life more livable cities”.

Emphasizing that there is no grey water policy in the country, Atakara went on to advise, “Due to the insufficient sewage system, which has led to dirty water polluting the seas before it has been treated, as well as the incorrect planning policies and the increase in the cities density, resulting in difficulties in accessibility in each passing day, a serious threat has been developed”.

Stating that architects are equipped to respond to the complex challenges of the built environment, Atakara concluded, "While the UIA SDG Commission is working to build a bridge between the UN initiatives and the practices of architects around the world, I am in the hope that my architect colleagues will take part in the evolutionary process of these practices, and wish them a happy world architecture day".