meow

The total area of 370 hectares was chosen for the Exhibition site and the facilities located off-site. Of this total, 68 hectares are devoted to the site itself (incl. the EXPO Hill) and some 9 hectares to the parking areas for cars and coaches, the designated car park (service vehicles), and the adjacent bus terminal, servicing the south-eastern entrance.



Urban Development & Landscaping Proposal

The EXPO site is located on the south shore of İzmir Bay in the Balçova district on the western fringe of the urban area. This area is 370 ha. in size, including the parking areas and the spacious Waterfront Park.

To the south, a beautiful vista of coastal mountains is visible behind the adjoining urban area. The site is bordered on the south by the Çeşme Highway and Balçova district, with thriving mixed use and residential areas. Small farms and private property are to the west of the site, which is bordered by a newly planned access road for the EXPO parking areas. On the eastern edge of the site, we find the southern car ferry port, which provides transport services across the İzmir bay.

Landscape Concept



The site consists of generally flat land that is well drained by a series of north-south watercourses. These features will be integrated into the
landscaping and parceling concepts. With a mean elevation ranging from 0 to 25 m above sea level, the area slopes gently to the north. The landform
poses no major topographical constraints to site development.

With its fantastic bay setting and beautiful mountain backdrop, the site has great potential to become a landmark area for the entire İzmir Bay area and has great potential to develop a strong sense of identity and local pride.

The urban design approach is to link the EXPO’s theme of “Health” to the site arrangement by choosing an “organic” layout with meandering boulevards and smoothly curved plot areas. The longitudinal shape of the site perfectly supports this formal language.

The landscaping concept is made up of 5 core elements:
• the existing Waterfront Park
• a new landmark to be erected for the EXPO in the EXPO Hill
• the 12 ha EXPO Lake with a shape corresponding to the existing lagoon
• the pocket parks aligned in regular intervals within the plot clusters
• landscaped pedestrian bridges to link adjoining city quarters to the EXPO site

Public Transport for Pedestrian Access to the Site
İzmir Metro and Railway System



İzmir’s municipality made a great effort to establish an efficient, comfortable and fast rail-bound transportation system. This system contains a new
metro system and a commuter rail link into the region.

The first line of İzmir Metro was opened in 2000 and it is 11.5 km long, with 0 stops. The line starts in the northeast at Bornova, runs on an elevated section between Halkapınar and Hilal and the further way underground through the city center towards Üçyol. A trip along the entire line takes 6 minutes. A 4.5 km extension work with 5 additional stops is underway (scheduled to be ready in 2008) at the western terminus Üçyol towards Fahrettin Altay.

Further extensions are planned at both ends of the line as well as two branches from Halkapınar and Üçyol into the outer quarters in the East and
South-east. The extension towards west scheduled to be completed until 2010 is another 5.5 km with 5 stops whereas the eastern extension scheduled for completion in 2008 consists of 3 additional stops in 3.5 km. The branch at Halkapınar towards Otogar is 4.5 km with 4 stops and the branch at Üçyol towards Buca is km with 7 additional stops, both of these
branches are scheduled to be ready until 2011 . The total length of İzmir metro will reach 40 km after these extensions.

The commuter rail system will run on the existing tracks of the national Turkish State Railway (TCDD). The opening is designated for 2008, when two
lines will start at the terminus at Alsancak in the northern end of the city center. The southern line has a length of 22 km running to Cumaovası via the
Adnan Menderes International Airport. The northern line runs towards Aliağa for 57 km. The upgrade of these lines includes new tracks, electrical power, new signaling and two tunnel sections. The total length of İzmir commuter rail system will reach nearly 80km after these upgrades with a total of 30 stops where 21 will be built until 2008.




The Exhibition Area

The site is bounded by the enclosing fence shown in the accompanying plan (the inside portion forms the route for the internal bus transport system provided for visitors).

The core area of the EXPO site is 68 hectares, as defined by this boundary fence, and including the Visitors’ Entrances (from the entrance turnstiles)
and the Service Entrances, (from the checkpoint barriers). This includes the new landmark of the EXPO Hill (6.5 ha). The spacious Waterfront Park (82.5 ha) is attached to the site and also incorporated into the EXPO Grounds. Both of these areas are encircled by boundary fences and linked to the core EXPO Venue via a number of pedestrian bridges.



Approximately one quarter of the core area (about 52.8 ha) will be occupied by buildings, while the remainder (about 115.1 ha) will make up the public
open spaces. Both of these areas will be accessible to the public and the additional areas will occupy some 8.5 ha. These additional areas will include the zone bordering the perimeter (on-site service road and the protection area along the enclosing fence). Of the open spaces within the core EXPO site, approximately 139 ha will be accessible to visitors and these will include the areas for queues, landscaped areas and the esplanades inside the entrance gates. Water features and other areas (off limits to the public) will
account for a further 29 ha, occupying the rest of the site.

Facilities, required for the Organizers Office Building, the Media Center Facility and VIP and Dignitaries Parking, will be located on the northern edge of the site. These areas will require external access, in addition to internal entry points, from the site. These areas, neighboring the site and extending to the boundary of the plot, will accommodate the following design elements:

• Parking areas for visitors (27,000 cars and 1,750 coaches), with an area of 113.2 ha including the access roads branching off the public road network, the bus and taxi terminals and the esplanades outside each of the visitors’
entrances (each of them approximately 1.0 ha in size ).
• The service parking area, for the use of Participants, Concessionaires and the Organizer (2,900 places and 6.1 ha).
• The complexes incorporated into the port terminals, next to the eastern entrance (existing) and the planned ferryboat terminal (close to the western entrance for passengers crossing the bay), which includes moorings, waiting areas and office space.



Internal Transportation

1. Internal Bus Shuttle
2. Gondola Ropeway

   A route for a ropeway system has been proposed, to run in an elevation of 5 to 20 meters and connecting the entrances to the West, South and East. This will be a recreational ride, rather than a means of internal transport. One station in the Waterfront Park will be provided for convenient access to this area. The route is designed to grant pleasant views to the EXPO Plaza, the EXPO Lake and the İzmir Bay.
   The anticipated 6-seat gondola system will perform operations with a cycle time of around 20 minutes for the entire 6 km circuit, and it will be capable of handling 2,500 passengers per direction. It is estimated that 5 to 10 million riders may be accommodated easily.

3. Parking Shuttle Service
4. Electric Vehicle Rental

Source: Expo 2015 Izmir Presentation File, EXPO 2015 Izmir

Reignman

Great thread, thanks meow!

Izmir deserves that in my opinion.

__________________
If there is a wish, there is a way!

meow

The Site and Its Merits:

Transportation Infrastructures

As the third largest city in Turkey, İzmir is quite well developed in terms of infrastructure. It is one of the most fortunate provinces in reference to the
transportation network and infrastructure.

International

Within the borders of the province, there are 4 airports, 2 civilian and 2 military. The main civilian airport is Adnan Menderes. Recently, this international airport has been enlarged and the renovations have been completed. Operated by a private entity and with a capacity of more than 4 million passengers, Adnan Menderes is a gateway to international air transport. It has multiple daily connections from major Turkish cities, such as İstanbul and Ankara. The second civilian airport is in Selçuk, very close to Ephesus, and it is used by small aircraft.

Although construction is not yet complete, there is another airport at Alaçatı, close to Çeşme. Both of these cities are very popular tourism centers, with a very high accessibility from the Greek Islands. The Çiğli Airport, İzmir’s old civil airport located on the north of the bay, is currently used for military
purposes. It has a great potential as a second international airport for the future and especially EXPO purposes.

Urban


The railway system contains a new Metro and a commuter “rail link” into the region between Aliağa and Menderes. With the upgrade of this commuter railway to metro standards, this 30 stops - 80 km line will be serving 550 thousands of passengers daily.

The first line of İzmir Metro starts in the northeast at Bornova, runs on an elevated section between Halkapınar and Hilal and then, passes underground through the city center towards Üçyol. Five extensions have been projected and are being planned by the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. These extensions are:

Üçyol – Üçkuyular
o 4.5 km extension to the existing 11.5 km
o The line will serve approximately 160 thousand passengers (currently 90 thousand)

Ege University – Bornova Center
o Project phase
o 3.5 km in length with 3 stops

Halkapınar – Otogar
o Project phase
o 4.5 km in length with 4 stops

Üçkuyular – Narlıdere
o Project phase
o 5.5 km line with 5 stops
o Line will play an important role in connecting EXPO site to the city

Üçyol – Buca
o Project phase
o km line with 7 stops





Space Area Needs:

What is Needed?

General Infrastructures for Getting to İzmir

National and Regional Road Network


...A final “gap closure” of the ring road, through a bay-crossing tunnel between Bostanlı and Üçkuyular, is currently under investigation. A further upgrading of highways into motorways, between İzmir and İstanbul as well as between İzmir and Ankara, is already projected...

National Rail Transport
...Apart from several improvements of existing railway lines, specifically related to connections between the mega-cities, a new double-track line is planned between İzmir and Ankara, suitable for high-speed trains and reducing travel time to 3 hours...

Air Transport
...The passenger terminal at Adnan Menderes Airport was recently extended. The airport facilities are designed for 5.0 million domestic and another 4.0 million international passengers per year. Currently, the annual demand lies between 2.1 and 3.5 million passengers. This provides sufficient capacity reserves to handle the expected EXPO demand of some 1.5 million arriving and departing Passengers, without any structural changes.

The Çiğli Airport, İzmir’s old civil airport located on the north of the bay, is currently used for military purposes. It has a great potential as a second international airport for the future and especially EXPO purposes.

İzmir Metro and Railway System


İzmir’s municipality made a great effort to establish an efficient, comfortable and fast rail-bound transportation system. This system contains a new metro system and a commuter rail link into the region.

The first line of İzmir Metro was opened in 2000 and it is 11.5 km long, with 0 stops. The line starts in the northeast at Bornova, runs on an elevated section between Halkapınar and Hilal and the further way underground through the city center towards Üçyol. A trip along the entire line takes 6 minutes. A 4.5 km extension work with 5 additional stops is underway (scheduled to be ready in 2008) at the western terminus Üçyol towards Fahrettin Altay.

Further extensions are planned at both ends of the line as well as two branches from Halkapınar and Üçyol into the outer quarters in the East and South-east. The extension towards west scheduled to be completed until 2010 is another 5.5 km with 5 stops whereas the eastern extension scheduled for completion in 2008 consists of 3 additional stops in 3.5 km. The branch at Halkapınar towards Otogar is 4.5 km with 4 stops and the branch at Üçyol towards Buca is km with 7 additional stops, both of these branches are scheduled to be ready until 2011 . The total length of İzmir metro will reach 40 km after these extensions.

The commuter rail system will run on the existing tracks of the national Turkish State Railway (TCDD). The opening is designated for 2008, when two lines will start at the terminus at Alsancak in the northern end of the city center. The southern line has a length of 22 km running to Cumaovası via the Adnan Menderes International Airport. The northern line runs towards Aliağa for 57 km. The upgrade of these lines includes new tracks, electrical power, new signaling and two tunnel sections. The total length of İzmir commuter rail system will reach nearly 80km after these upgrades with a total of 30 stops where 21 will be built until 2008.


In the recent years, İzmir metro operated with its regular 3-coach trains running every 5 minutes during core times (every 5 minutes at night) in each direction. This metro carried more than 80,000 passengers per day. In 2006, 26.3 million passengers were carried. Beyond the peak-hours, the metro system contains capacity reserves of some 50% without any operational changes. Under optimal circumstances, a directional capacity of 45,000 passengers per hour is operational, while a free “EXPO capacity” of approximately 5,500 passengers per hour (per direction) can be expected – enough to cover a 5% share during the peak-hour of the Design Day showing 340,000 visits.

For EXPO purposes three metro stations will be provided; Fahrettin Altay (serving the Eastern Main entrance), Balçova (serving the Southeast Entrance) and Çağdaş (serving the South Entrance). A fourth metro station “D.E.Ü. Hastanesi” may potentially serve the Southwest and Western Main Entrance, although it is located about one kilometer away.

Source: EXPO 2015 Izmir

meow

Knowing the City


Izmir


The city of İzmir lies on the West Coast of Anatolia and is encircled by rich plains of the Aegean Region. The Aegean Region, which is a unique region in Turkey opening to the sea extensively, ranks second after the Marmara Region in terms of industrialization. Textiles, food and automotive industries being in the lead, machinery and spare parts industries are concentrated in İzmir. The province of İzmir is approximately 12 thousand km2 covering 1.5% of Turkey’s lands (surface area of Turkey is more than800 thousand km2), with a population of 3.4 million. Being a metropolitan city with multicultural aspects, it is the third largest city and the second largest industrialized city in Turkey. As an Asian, European and Mediterranean city, İzmir is at the crossroads where land, air and maritime routes intersect.

Besides being the most strategic port city of Turkey, İzmir is located at a central location with respect to many touristic places as well. With its “best climate and the most beautiful sky in the world” as said by Herodotus, İzmir has 629 km of coastal line from Dikili at the north to Selçuk at the south.

With a mythical history of 8,500 years, İzmir proudly hosts a large number of extremely important architectural works and archeological sites. According to the legends, İzmir is the birthplace of Homer. The pearl of Aegean and the princess of the poems of Victor Hugo, İzmir has a long past reaching back to the Early Bronze Age, witnessing the passage of countless civilizations from Hittites to Ionians, Lydians to Persians, Pergamonians to Romans, and Byzantines to Ottomans.

As being a center of culture, trade and civilization, İzmir presents its services to cultural tourism with its countless historical sites reaching to our days from prehistoric times, works and buildings, museums, typical Mediterranean kitchen, handicrafts, festivals, festivities, and other local cultural specialties, as well as offering its respectful participation in the faith tourism with a large collection of sacred places.

Frequently rediscovered during centuries, İzmir managed to maintain its cultural, strategic, and economical significance until today, with its five major universities, the largest organized industry zone of Turkey, wide hinterland, great entrepreneur force, unmatched history, beautiful nature, and open
minded, hospitable people.

meow

The titles of the Exhibition will be
• İzmir 2015 Universal Exhibition
• İzmir Universal Exhibition
• 2015 Universal Exhibition
• İzmir, Turkey, 2015 Registered Exhibition

The short titles of the Exhibition will be
• EXPO 2015, İzmir
• EXPO İzmir 2015
• EXPO’2015
• İzmir’2015

Opening-Closing Dates & Hours

The Exhibition will be open for six months, which is the maximum length permitted by the BIE. The Exhibition will open on Thursday, April 30, 2015. It will close on Saturday, October 31. It will thus offer 185 days of celebration, encompassing just over 26 weeks.

The Pavilions will be open, for Day EXPO, for a full twelve hours each day, from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm. Night EXPO will run from 8:00 pm until 3:00 am.



International Reasons to Organize an EXPO in İzmir

The EXPO 2015 İzmir will be the first EXPO to be organized in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Although the majority of Turkey’s population is Muslim, its multi-religious, multi-ethnic, multicultural and secular structure presents a unique setting. In a world where conflicts between civilizations and religions are proliferating, the rest of the world will find an unspoiled venue in İzmir. If the world is not healthy at the moment, perhaps a ‘cultural acupuncture’, containing the inherent qualities of İzmir, will be beneficial to the world of the 21st century.

As a national goal, Turkey is attempting to foster increased levels of understanding between and among different cultures and religions, and we are at the forefront of all such international efforts. Within this context, the importance, of the EXPO 2015 İzmir, is very clear and beyond any doubt.

As a physical and cultural bridge between Europe and Asia, in the heart of Eurasia, Turkey is a land of attraction for many reasons. Primarily, Turkey is a popular tourism destination and one the most visited countries in the world, receiving over 20 million tourists per year. Turkey’s geographic location, together with an excellent infrastructure, makes Turkey an ideal venue for meetings, congresses, and other similar events, which may be arranged for expressing and evaluating ideas and for demonstrating and comparing skills.

The potential 16 million visitors are expected to make 39 million visits to İzmir EXPO. This will create major economic opportunities not only for İzmir; but also for the Aegean region and the Northern Mediterranean. Furthermore, these major economic opportunities will extend to the Black Sea Basin and the Caucasus in particular, and for all participants in general.

Visitors from all over the world, as well as artists, professionals, philosophers and scientists, will be inspired by İzmir and its environs and intrigued to see the past, the present and the future at the same time. The inspiration caused by İzmir is perfectly compatible with the global goals of EXPO. With every intention, and capability, of being an ideal host, İzmir is ready to become a platform upon which all countries will display their expectations, traditions and experiences.