Ekrem İmamoğlu was born in the Cevizli village of Trabzon’s Akçaabat district in 1970. He graduated from Istanbul University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Following his undergraduate studies, he completed a Master of Science degree in Human Resources Management in the same university. During his time as a student, he played football as an amateur. He served as a board member at Trabzonspor Football Club, Trabzonspor Basketball Club, and Beylikdüzüspor Sports Club.

In 1992, while still a graduate student, Mr. İmamoğlu started working for the family business. He then assumed the CEO role in the group’s companies to lead housing and urban planning projects. While leading these projects, he encountered numerous problems stemming from local affairs, which led him to his decision to enter politics.

Mr. İmamoğlu joined the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in 2009, and became a member of the Beylikdüzü District Organization. In the same year, he ran as a candidate for nomination to Beylikdüzü District Mayor, and actively participated in the party’s election campaign. Following the local election, he was elected the District Head of the CHP. After 5 years as a successful District Head who enhanced and improved the District Organization, Mr. İmamoğlu was nominated in 2013 as a candidate for Beylikdüzü District Mayor in the preliminary election within his party. In the March 30 local elections in 2014, he was elected Mayor of Beylikdüzü.

After his election as Mayor of Beylikdüzü, and between the years 2014-2019, he realized a wide range of projects that transformed the district’s appearance. Following the positive changes he made in the district’s living standards, social life, and infrastructural services, Mr. İmamoğlu captured the attention of the people of Beylikdüzü, the media, academia, and the upper echelons of his party.

Subsequently, the CHP nominated Mr. İmamoğlu for Mayor of Istanbul in the local elections of March 31, 2019. After an effective and inspiring campaign period of three months, he garnered 48.82% of the total votes and was elected Mayor of Istanbul. This was the highest percentage of votes that any Mayor of Istanbul had received in over 30 years.

Nevertheless, following the objections made by the ruling party, the Supreme Board of Elections (YSK) annulled Mr. İmamoğlu’s mandate on his 18th day as Mayor, relying on a decision that went against its own legal precedents. YSK ruled for an election re-run for June 23, 2019. After the annulment of the vote, Mr. İmamoğlu launched his new election campaign with the historic speech he delivered in the Beylikdüzü Valley of Life (Yaşam Vadisi) on the evening of May 6, 2019. His speech generated a strong sentiment of hope and determination among the voters who had faced a great disappointment in the aftermath of the annulment. This sentiment was sustained throughout the course of the campaign.

Mr. İmamoğlu’s renewed campaign became a potent symbol of the fight for justice and democracy in Turkey. On June 23, he achieved an even more successful result than March 31, and was elected Mayor with the support of 54.2% of the voters. This election became a milestone for the democratic future of both İstanbul and Turkey.

Ekrem İmamoğlu is married with three children and has been living in İstanbul since 1988.

He was born in Tekirdağ in 1961. After graduating from TED Ankara College, he graduated from Mimar Sinan University, Faculty of Architecture, Department of City and Regional Planning in 1987. In 1989, he was a Phd Urban Planner from Mimar Sinan University, and in 1996, from the same university. He received the title of MS Urban Planner. He worked in Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Department of Reconstruction and Urbanism between 1989-2014. Between 2008 and 2012, he worked as the Coordinator of the World Health Organization, Healthy Cities Association, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. He has been working as a part-time lecturer at Istanbul Aydın University since 2008. Between April 2014 and June 2019, he worked as the Technical Vice President in Beylikdüzü Municipality. He has many scientific works published in various journals and presented at various congresses, seminars, panels, and academic meetings. Mehmet Çakılcıoğlu, who is a member of various non-governmental organizations, is married and has a child.

Born in Erzincan, Turkey in 1976. Mr. Mahir Polat received his Bachelor’s Degree in Archeology and Art History from Istanbul University (İU) in 2002. In 2003, he began his Master’s Studies in the Department of History of Architecture at İstanbul Technical University (İTU). In 2008, Mr. Polat completed his graduate studies at the Institute of Social Sciences, Faculty of Art and Design in Museology Master Degree Program at Yıldız Technical University (YTU), with a thesis titled, “Curatorial Activities of Museums”. From 2011 to 2015, Mr. Mahir Polat has lectured on “Cultural Heritage Legislation” as a guest lecturer at the same faculty. He is currently working on his doctoral dissertation at the Institute of Social Sciences of İU in 2009, focusing on “Religious Cultural Heritage”. In 2005, Mr. Polat started his professional career at the General Directorate of Foundations and he has served there as a Foundation Specialist since the year of 2009. From 2014 to 2016, he also served as the conservator of Akaretler Atatürk Museum and as the Director of Turkısh Foundatıon Constructıon And Artworks Museum of Istanbul between 2016 to 2019. During this period, he also took part in museum and exhibition projects and restoration committees. Mr. Polat, who has special studies in the fields of conservation of historical culture, museology, religious, cultural, social history, social memory and history of architecture, is also a member of History Foundation Board of Trustees, Europa Nostra Turkey, Association of Professionals Foundation.

Born in İzmir, Turkey on May 14, 1981. Dr. Tayfun Kahraman graduated from İzmir Atatürk High School in 1999. Later, he earned his Bachelor (BSc) degree in Urban and Regional Planning at the Faculty of Architecture of Mimar Sinan University (MSU) with the title of urban planner in 2004. After graduating from MSU, Dr. Kahraman started his professional career at the administrative board of the Istanbul Branch of Chamber of City Planners, at the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (UCTEA), served as a Secretary member for two terms between 2010 and 2019. He has served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Istanbul Branch of Chamber of City Planners at the UCTEA from 2010 until January 2019. Also, he became a member of the Board of Directors at the Chamber Headquarter between 2010 and 2014. From 2009 to 2014, he worked as a Culture and Tourism Specialist at the Conservation Regional Council of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. He completed his MSc degree at in Urban Planning Program in 2010 and received his PhD degree in Political Science and Public Administration at Istanbul University, Faculty of Political Sciences in 2017. Dr. Kahraman has also served as a consultant to the Beylikdüzü District Municipality between 2014 and 2018. Since 2014, Dr. Kahraman has been working as a faculty member in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Fine Arts, at MSU. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of UCTEA at the Chamber of City Planners Headquarters and Istanbul Branch. He is also the editor for Planning Magazine. In addition to that, he gives lectures and seminars on Urbanism, Urban Planning and Zoning Legislation and participates as a speaker in congresses and conferences in the same areas. His articles are published in various newspapers, magazines and news sites. As of September 5, 2019, Dr. Kahraman was appointed as the head of Department of Earthquake Risk Management and Urban Improvement at the IMM. He has a good command of English. Dr. Kahraman is married with a daughter.

Born in İstanbul in 1948 and graduated from Galatasaray High School in 1967. He studied Architecture at Istanbul State Academy of Fine Arts (DGSA). In the same institute, he became an academic member at Urban Planning Department. Later on, he studied Urbanism in Paris with the scholarship he was awarded from the French Government. He completed his doctoral thesis in 1978 and his associate professorship thesis in 1981. He resigned his academic membership from Mimar Sinan University in 1982 and continued making contributions to academic platforms as an invited jury member, juror, project manager, seminar coordinator, lecturer. Between 2009-2016 he was back to Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University as professor lecturer and was retired in 2016.

Since 1990, he pursues his profession within Karabey Limited Architecture. During his academy life, he has written around 100 articles about culture, society, communication, design, environment, city and architecture. Later on, around 250 articles of him was published in several architecture magazines, newsletters and, professional platforms.

Haydar Karabey has designed 200 architectural projects of which 100 of them were built. He has been a principal member in many competition juries. He is married to Architect Banu Karabey and lives in İstanbul.

Oktay Özel was born in Seydişehir, Konya in 1987. He graduated from Mahmut Esat High Scholl in 2005. He completed his university education with a degree of civil engineering from Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ) in 2010. He participated in Erasmus Exchange Programme in 2007 for a year at the University of Hannover. Afterwards, he has worked as an earthquake engineer in the private sector for almost a year. Following his private sector experience, he has started to work in the Section of Art Work and Construction Affairs, Istanbul 1st Regional Directorate, General Directorate of Foundations with a central appointment in September 2011. He worked as a Control Engineer in many restoration projects such as Beyazıt Mosque, Nusretiye Mosque, Yıldız Hamidiye Mosque, Nuru Osmaniye Mosque, Spice Bazaar, Büyük Mecidiye Mosque and Terra Santa Church. He has also managed the preparation processes for surveys, restitutions, restorations and strengthening projects on cultural assets. Furthermore, he has served as a member in the General Directorate of Foundations’ price-fixing commission. He has written articles and prepared academic studies on the subjects of restoration processes of cultural assets and earthquake reinforcement of cultural structures. He has started to work in the Department of Cultural Assets Conservation of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality on 16 November 2019. He is married and has a son.

Yılmaz was born in 1971 in Istanbul. After completing his upper secondary education in 1989, he started studying in Department of Architecture at Istanbul Technical Universisty. During his education he participated in excavations in archaeological sites. After his gradition he worked at various desgin offices between 1993-1997 and in construction sites between 1997-1999.

Besides, he has been the board chairman of Arkitera Architecture Center since foundation, October 2000, untill the end of 2015, he has been the consultant of Arkitera and the coordinator of Kivi Strategic Planning.

Since 2005 Yılmaz has been within a wide range of competitions as a principal and consultant jury member.

Zeynep Ahunbay is a conservation architect specialized in Ottoman architecture and conservation studies. She worked at Istanbul Technical University from 1971 to 2013 lecturing on theory and techniques of conservation, traditional building types and World Heritage. She has taken part in the conservation of several monuments and sites in Turkey. She also worked in Bosnia and Kosovo after the recent wars (1997-2009), contributing to the restoration of the damaged cultural heritage. She has publications on conservation techniques and World Heritage of Turkey.

Ipek Akpınar is a professor, and conducting architectural and urban design studios, lecturing master and PhD courses on the relations of architecture with the urban, political and cultural context as well as social actors.

Following her bachelor (1990) and Master of Science (1993) studies at Istanbul Technical University – Department of Architecture, she has received her doctoral degree from University of London, University College, Bartlett School of Graduate Studies (2003) with her thesis entitled “The Rebuilding of Istanbul after the Plan of Henri Prost: from secularisation to Turkish Modernization”. Her collaborated international research project based on the personal archives of Henri Prost at Paris was exhibited and published (2010).

She is the author of Moonlight Monastery (2012) and 10th Year of the Sabancı Museum (2013). She is on the editorial board of The Journal of Architecture (Taylor Francis / Routledge) and JURD, and a member on the advisory board of A/Z ITU Journal of Faculty of Architecture and The UCL Urban Laboratory (2005) as well as Ocean Research Association.

Kubin received his Bachelor’s degree from the Department of City and Regional Planning, Middle East Technical University, in 1987. He joined the project team for Ulus Historical City Centre Planning, led by R. Raci Bademli, in 1989. Over the course of the project, Kubin served as Research Assistant at the City and Regional Planning Department of the METU from 1990 to 1994. He received his Master’s degree in urban design from the same department in 1992. Kubin has joined numerous national and invited competitions on urban design, environmental design and planning since the beginning of his professional career, and has received several awards. He has been working in Promim Urban and Environmental Design since 1995, of which he is a founding member. Kubin is also a part-time lecturer at the Department of Architecture, Middle East Technical University.

Landscape architect Arzu Nuhoğlu completed her BA at the Landscape Architecture Department of Ankara University’s Faculty of Agriculture and worked as a research assistant in the same department for twelve years. During this period she received her MSc degree and started her Ph.D. Currently, she works at her own design office she established in 1997.

KEREM PİKER was born in Ankara in 1978. He received his BArch degree in Architecture in 2001 at Istanbul Technical University and his MSC in Arch degree in 2004 at TU Delft. He worked for EAA between 2004 and 2010 as a senior architect, associate and partner. In 2010, he was selected as one of best 40 architects in Europe under the age of 40 by Chicago Atheneum.

In 2011 Kerem Piker founded KPM-Kerem Piker Mimarlık, Architectural Studio. KPM was awarded in several architectural competitions. In 2012 he attended 1st Istanbul Design Biennial with the project named The Bomb. In 2015, he was invited as a guest editor of Betonart Magazine’s 45th issue. In 2016, Akyazı Cultural Center designed by KPM received the best project prize in the 15th National Architecture Awards. In 2019, he was invited for the 12 th International Architecture Biennale of Sao Paulo.

Since 1998, Kerem Piker has taught in architectural schools as a visiting lecturer and juror, including İstanbul Technical University, Yıldız Technical University, Gebze Institute of Technology, Bilgi University and AGU. Kerem Piker was the curator of the Pavilion of Turkey in the 16th Architecture Exhibition in La Biennale di Venezia.

Manuel de Rivero (Lima, Peru 1973) is an architect and urbanist from Peru. Graduating with a B.Arch from the University Ricardo Palma (Lima, 1996) and a Master of Excellence in Architecture from the Berlage Institute (Rotterdam, 2002), he worked for MVRDV (The Netherlands) as a project leader (2002-05). He has taught for 20 years in many universities in the world and is currently the Dean of the Architecture School at Latin American Arts & Science University (UCAL) in Lima.

Since 2005 is co-leader (with Cesar Becerra and Fernando Puente Arnao) of 51-1 arquitectos, an architecture studio based in Lima that was named among the 30 emergent studios from Iberoamerica (2G Dossier, Spain, 2007). 51-1 was selected for the III Latin American Architecture Biennale (Pamplona, 2013) and for the Peruvian Pavilion at 13th Venice Biennale. Their work was nominated for the Iakov Chernikhov Prize (Moscow, 2014) and they won the international competition for the extension of Medellin Museum of Modern Art in Colombia. Further projects include Mistura food fair, restaurants Maido and Astrid&Gaston, PUCP Culinary School, and houses like Pachamanca, Tudor and Serpiente (nominated for Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize).

Manuel de Rivero is a founding member of the think-tank Supersudaca and Chair of the Prince Claus Awards Committee in the Netherlands.

Landscape Architect and Urban Planner, and the member of Bavarian Chambers of Architects, Munich. In 1980, he was employed in the office of Gottfried Hansjacob, Munich, firstly as project leader, later as office line manager. In 1991, he opened his offices for landscape architecture in Munich and Berlin, 1997 another branch in Bernburg/ Saale. Rainer Schmidt became a professor for landscape architecture and design at the Beuth University of Applied Sciences, Berlin, in 1991. He became also guest-professor at the Beijing University, China, and at the University of Berkeley, USA.

Founder of IND [Inter.National.Design] in 2007 . He studied architecture at Mimar Sinan University of fine Arts (Istanbul). In 2002 he received his master of Architecture diploma from the Berlage Institute in Rotterdam. He graduated with his thesis topic about the effects of migration with commercial activities on cities .

After his master studies he worked three years at West 8 and OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture), both located in Rotterdam. He was guest Curator for the Turkish pavilion at the Mare Nostrum section of the International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam 2005. In 2007 He has won several international and national competitions starting with Ceuta 187 social housing units. That momentum established IND [Inter.National.Design]. In 2014, His IND team succeeded to win the Internation competiton Canakkale Antenna Tower which ended up in construction to be finalized in 2020.

Akdoğan is a co-author of the book Research for Research concerning the architecture works of Bruno Taut edited by Bart Lootsma.

He is the designer of “Kavuşma Durağı” an exhibition and performance pavillion at Taxim square which attracted public attention on use of public space.

Akın, graduated from Istanbul Technical University Department of Architecture in 2001. She turned her focus on academic research and education since 2010. In 2016 she received her PhD with her dissertation titled “Architecture and Structure” from İstanbul Technical University and since 2017 she is working as an assistant professor in MEF University. Among her research areas are; architectural practices and criticism, architectural designs relation to structural concept and the built objects relation to design-representation-construction processes.

After completing his undergraduate study at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University (MSFAU), Faculty of Architecture, Department of Urban and Regional Planning in 1992, he started to work as a research assistant in the same department. He carried out projects in the fields of planning and design between 1998-2012. After receiving his PhD degree on Urban Transformation and Deformation in 2012, he served as a lecturer at different universities on urban design and planning. Currently, he is continuing researches on urban design as a faculty member at MSFAU.

Meltem Erdem Kaya is an Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture at Istanbul Technical University (ITU). She worked as a visiting scholar in the Landscape Ecology, Perception, and Design Lab at the University of Michigan, School of Natural Resources and Environment, USA, in 2010. Her research and teaching focuses on methods of landscape design, ecological approaches in landscape architecture, landscape characteristics and morphological studies on rural settlements, regenerative strategies for urban vacant lots. Dr. Erdem Kaya is actively participating design competitions and holds various awards at national level. Her professional practice focuses on landscape architecture projects ranging from small scale public spaces to large scale planning projects in urban and rural context. She is currently director of the Department of Landscape Architecture Department at ITU.

Merve Ala was born in Istanbul. In 2010, she was graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts. In 2014, she completed her master’s degree with a thesis about “Movement-Image and Cinematography in Architectural Design” in Istanbul Technical Univesity. She participated in various architectural competitions in different design offices. Between 2012-2018, she worked as an architect in General Directorate for Foundations. In 2018 she left her job from the directorate and started to work as a construction supervisor in Eyüp Public Soup-Kitchen Restoration Project. As of December 2019, she has been working in Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Culturel Assets Directorate as an architect.

After graduation from Istanbul Technical University, department of Architecture in 2014, she started working at Arkitera Architecure Center as a project manager for “Consultancy of Competition Management”. By year of 2020 she has been working at Istanbul Planning Agency, Department of Competitions.

After graduation from Beykent University, department of Architecture, K.Elif has completed her urban design master’s degree at K.U.Leuven, Belgium with the thesis “Re-thinking the infrastructure invasion on public spaces: case Brussels Botanic and surroundings” in 2016. After graduation she has worked in various architecture and landscape architecture offices. By 2020 she has been the rapporteur of several urban design competitions.

Sinan Çağlar was born in Alcase in 1982. In 2000 he was graduated from the College of Bilge Kağan and in 2006, from the Faculty of Science at Yildiz Technical University as a statistician. He has worked in various fields. Between 2010-2019 he was assigned as an auditor to implement Energy Market Regulatory Authority’s regulations in Turkey’s petrol sector. He participated in a research project about climate change in which he studied estimating costs and macro-economic impacts for Turkey associated with not meeting the 1,5°C target according to the Paris Agreement. He worked as a protection officer in the field of refugee rights and immigration. For a while, he worked as a freelance translator. As of October 2019, he has been working in Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Culturel Assets Directorate as a consultant.

S.Benan Kaya, who started her undergraduate education in Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University (MSGSÜ) “Urban and Regional Planning Department” in 2013-2014, took part in national and international projects and workshops on a city scale. With the Erasmus Exchange Program, Fachhochschule Erfurt (FH Erfurt) was educated for one year and graduated from MSGSU in 2019 as a Urban Planner. Since 2020, she has been working in the Public Design Office / Competitions team within the Istanbul Planning Agency.

Şima Topaloğlu was born in Zonguldak in 1994. In 2017, she was graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts as a City Planner. Currently, she is continuing her master degree in Urban Planning Programme at the same university. She has worked as a volunteer and as a professional in various Non-Governmental Organizations. As of October 2019, she has been working in Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Culturel Assets Directorate as a city planner.