Elis
Mutlu
Ad-Hoc Expert
Generic Skills
B.1. Understanding of integrated and sustainable urban development:
I studied Sociology at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul. As started the university in 2006, I became aware the fact that the need for understanding of complex urban phenomena in the 21st century -for the first time in human history world population has become more urban than rural- is critical. Therefore I decided to deepen my academic as well as practical understanding of urban issues so that I dedicated to become an urban sociologist. In 2010 I involved in a team of volunteer researchers for the project called "İstanbul 1910-2010: The City, Built Environment and Architectural Culture Exhibition" when Istanbul became the European Capital of Culture. In 2011 I graduated from the university and started my master studies at the Bauhaus University Weimar, the European Urban Studies Institute. I became such a great personal experience that I had an opportunity to settle down Germany, to meet new people form various backgrounds and to learn from each other. In 2012, I had a chance to make an internship in the Netherlands for approx. six months at the International New Town Institute. After my graduation from the Bauhaus University Weimar, I started working as an urban sociologist for a not-for-profit organisation called "Urban Vision Platform" in Istanbul. I have been working since 2014 as an urban sociologist and project coordinator in Istanbul. As a team of urban experts, we work on vision plans, participatory workshops, roadmaps, strategic planning and social impact assessment.
B.2. Understanding of exchange and learning processes at transnational level:
Both my academic and professional activities have enabled me to be able to work in a multi-disciplinary as well as international professional environment. Besides, my profession has also given me many opportunities to get involved in projects at the transnational level. For example, in 2015 I conducted a research for a project "Social Impact Design Guide". Thanks to that project, my team has develop a guideline for the World Bank. In that project, the World Bank has asked our team to make a research on how urban professionals/non-professionals can develop context-based methods and techniques to improve local context, to better communicate with local actors and to improve the quality of their work when they exchange their know-how with other local and/or expert groups to improve local conditions, empower inhabitants, generate dialogue among different groups like municipality, project initiators, residents, NGOs, businesses etc.
In 2015, I have started my PhD at the Bauhaus University Weimar and my research is about the urban regeneration policies and their relation to housing production for the emerging middle classes in Turkey. Thanks to that research, I plan to become a housing expert and I believe that I will have many opportunities to meet other professionals and exchange our knowledge both in academia and professional life.
B.3. Proficiency in English:
The degree courses held in English both at the Boğaziçi University and the Bauhaus University in Weimar. During the first year of education at the Boğaziçi University, students are required to pass an english proficiency test to start their academic studies. So I passed the test and studied all my courses in English for the next four year. Then I got accepted to the Bauhaus University Weimar that requires student to prove their language skills via TOEFL or a similar testing tool. I also proved my language skills via TOEFL exam. Yet learning a language is a continuous process and living in an international environment definitely improves language skills. So my English has also very improved while I was studying and working in Germany and the Netherlands. For my current jobs, I write reports in English, I meet professionals from different countries and my language skills really help to improve my professional networks. I am still in contact with my friends from the graduate program in Germany. Many of them are living in another country rather than where they were born. So the language helps me considering my work as well as my social life.
Expertise for the design and delivery of transnational exchange and learning activities:
Thematic expertise:
Theme / Policy:
Integrated Urban Renewal
Summary Thematic expertise:
- Writing Social Impact Assessment (SIA) Reports of the urban renewal projects in Istanbul
- Content preparation for trainings related with urban development and policies in Turkey
- Organizing participatory workshops with project partners
- Field research
- Qualitative Analysis
- Social Impact Design
- Design research
- Vision plans
- Action plans
Expertise support to local authorities and other stakeholders in designing & delivering integrated and participatory policies
E.1. Knowledge on participatory methods and tools for co-production and implementation of local polices :
In 2015, I have involved in a project called "Social Impact Design Toolkit" for urban projects in Turkey. This project was prepared by Kentsel Strategy (Urban Strategy) company in cooperation with the World Bank and the Ministry of Urbanisation and Environment of Turkey. In that project, I worked as a researcher and I translated the toolkit into English. My research involved preparing the content, analysing national and international examples of good practices of urban policies and implementation projects and also explaining the innovative "research, design and participation" methods which can help to improve the quality of urban research, participatory meetings and design methods in Turkey. This toolkit has already become a reference book to many urban researchers, designers and interested parties involved in urban development processes in Turkey.
We also prepared method cards that includes the questions "what is the method? Why to use this method? When? With whom? What are the tools and materials you would need?" we provide answers and suggestions for each method based on our field experiences as well as our research on the international good practices of urban redevelopment.
E.2. Knowledge on integrated approach for the design, delivering, monitoring and evaluation of urban strategies/policies:
For example, in the social impact assessment processes our team has developed 5 main steps for an integrated approach to social impact management processes:
1. Profiling; Due Diligence
2. Scanning; Early Intervention
3. Analysis; Impact Assessment
4. Planning; Mitigation and Management
5. Follow-up; Monitoring
This 5 steps process also indicates the importance of research, participation, analysis, feedback, scoping, strategic design, monitoring and action planning of urban redevelopment processes. As a result an impact mitigation plan and its suggestive tools and steps are provided considering different project actors.
From that point of view, I believe that designing, delivering, monitoring and evaluating urban projects and coming up with innonative strategies and sound policy solutions are not linear processes. In each step involving different actors, incorporating proper research methods, understanding the needs and capabilities on different scales (local, institutional, market, etc), getting feedbacks, sharing knowledge and learning from other experiences, having realistic goals and enough resources (time, skills, finance, local support etc) to reach those goals are some of the crucial aspects of any project. In that respect, urban policies need to address different needs and capabilities as well as create an environment of engagement, empowerment, sharing, learning and supporting of people and institutions for creating better urban futures.
E.3. Awareness of the main policy and funding schemes for sustainable urban development at EU and national level:
Recently I mainly focused on the housing policies (i.e. EU's housing4all, the World Bank's Sustainable Development Goals 11, UN-Habitat World Cities Reports considering housing issues) both in Europe and other parts of the world.
Considering the EU, I follow "Housing Europe" platform as well as European Cohesion Policy for 2014-2020 to learn the recent developments and policy action in the EU.
I think that the World Bank's recent publication called "Housing for All by 2030" also shows similar approach to the issue in terms of adequate, safe and affordable housing suggestions. For me one of the crucial points is improving the ways in which housing finance to become more efficient and to address the issues of equal access to funding and services.
On the other hand, the funding schemes like European Structural Funds (2014-2020), InvestEU, asylum and migration funds seem to come to the fore recently due to the economic recession and the recent refugee crisis both in the EU and in the world.
E.4. Ability to understand specific local situations and adapt tools and content to different local realities:
As I explained before, I lived and studied in many European countries. While doing my undergraduate studies, I got Erasmus funding so that I went to Denmark for six months. In 2011, I went to Germany to study my master degree and I did my internship in the Netherlands in 2012. I have also been to many European countries for travelling and all these experiences encouraged me to become more sensitive to current issues in the EU. Also, the global developments and humanitarian crisis all around the world due to civil wars, global warming, involuntary displacements, economic recessions and so on brought about the need for transnational cooperation, adapting better tools to fight with poverty and inequality. These are, of course, not specific to the EU, thus their solutions have to come from our ability to face and overcome global problems. Therefore both local and global issues need to address the to empower people, access to basic needs and services like housing, education, safety, sustainable environment and healthy food for all of us.
Informations
Residence location:
_Other_
Languages:
_Other_ - Mother tongue
Foreign Languages level:
Foreign languages:
Email:
elis.mtl@gmail.com