We arrived in Izmir on March 5th, and I fall in love with this city, its blue coast and its relaxing life style.
On March 6th, we first went to an activity in memory of rape victims. This activity is amazing.
People are building the memorial wall.
There are people leaving their support words. Our group member David wrote down an impressive sentence: all humans deserve to live without fear and with dignity. I think this is what everyone should promote and defend.
Today’s meeting with Mayor of Izmir Aziz Kocaoğlu, one of top 10 mayors of the world, is considered the highlight of all academic/professional activities in the trip. During the meeting, we asked questions in various fields including economic development, women’s rights, Syrian refugees, and the city image of Izmir. I think one of the main reasons for Mayor Kocaoglu’s achievement is his success in economic development. He said that he only made investment in sustainable projects. One example he gave is that he invested in subway systems instead of buses. This is a smart choice, as buses need to be replaced by new ones after about 5 years, while metros can last more years. In addition, Mayor Kocaoğlu pointed out that subways could generate more government revenues. He also discussed historical renovation projects in Izmir and the plan to attract more tourists to increase government revenues. Government revenues play a significant role in the development of a city and can create a virtuous cycle of the economic development. With more revenues, better infrastructure will be constructed, more services will be delivered, and quality of life will be improved, which attracts more tourists, labor force, and capital investment. Mayor Kocaoğlu is very charming. One can feel his dynamics and passion for his work from his talks. The meeting with Mayor Kocaoglu is awesome. I do not only gain a deeper insight of urban governance but also get impressed by his personal charm.