Projects of Marmara Municipalities Crowned with Golden Ant
Within the scope of Golden Ants Awards, projects of municipalities in the Marmara Region were awarded in 10 categories including governance and participation, urban planning and infrastructure, climate change and environmental management, architecture and urban design, arts and culture, social services, local development, transportation and mobility, smart city applications and disaster management. The relation of the project with the Sustainable Development Goals was also a criterion of evaluation.
In the opening speech of the ceremony, President of Marmara Municipalities Union and Mayor of Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Tahir Büyükakın said, “The Golden Ant Awards, which brings us together today, are also a means to crown the works we do for our cities and the projects we produce. Our municipalities’ works play a critical role in creating a better future and cities with a high quality of life. All richness created by cities, which become centers of attraction and offer investment opportunities, prepares the ground for countries to reach the welfare level at which they aim. Thus, our cities in the Marmara region which is Turkey’s locomotive have a great significance for Turkey’s growth and development.”
Stating that The Golden Ant Awards hard-working teams that successfully implement projects and projects, Büyükakın said, “We know very well that behind every successful project, there are municipal employees who work devotedly. You work with the awareness that serving the city is a sacred effort. Success comes naturally when the mayors and their teams believe in the same goal and have the same aims. We have a lot to learn from each other. Besides, with each new project, we learn more. Today, we will applaud the exemplary projects together. We believe that every effort to serve the public, whether it is awarded or not, is invaluable.” Büyükakın finished his words by saying, “All our efforts is to build livable, sustainable, innovative cities which do not cut off its ties with history for our Turkey… Because the greatest reward for us is the happiness of city folk.”
