What happened
Türkiye’s Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Ministry has broken ground on the first stage of the Uzunkum Living Area and National Garden development in Trabzon. At the ceremony, Environment Minister Murat Kurum said this portion is expected to be finished in October 2027.
The overall project is planned for an area of roughly 750,000 m², with works now under way across about 400,000 m². According to the ministry, green space will make up more than half of the development. The plans include cycling connections extending towards Akçaabat, parking for around 800 vehicles, a boathouse, food venues and a sailing club.
The ministry said the scheme is being pursued with the Housing Development Administration of Türkiye (TOKİ), Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality, the State Hydraulic Works and the General Directorate of Highways. The announcement was made at a groundbreaking and sapling-planting event attended by national and local officials.
Why it matters
The Uzunkum project combines a substantial public realm investment with coastal access and active-travel infrastructure. Its proposed allocation of more than half the site to planted areas is a central feature of the development, although the ministry has not published further detail on the design, delivery programme or environmental performance of the green spaces.
Separately, the ministry said it is continuing work on a waste-to-energy plant designed to manage approximately 1,000 tonnes of waste each day from Trabzon and neighbouring municipalities. It also announced an advanced biological wastewater-treatment facility with a planned daily capacity of 200,000 m³, intended to serve about one million residents in Ortahisar and Yomra.
For municipal infrastructure stakeholders, the announcements place waste management, energy recovery and wastewater treatment alongside the city’s coastal development agenda. The proposed facilities could be significant additions to regional service capacity, but their construction schedules and commissioning dates were not provided.
What to watch next
The immediate delivery milestone is the ministry’s October 2027 target for the first Uzunkum stage. Readers should watch for published design details, procurement information and updates on the timing of the two proposed environmental-infrastructure facilities.
The project information and targets were set out by the Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Ministry.
