Implementation zoning plan

An implementation zoning plan, or uygulama imar planı in Turkey, is the detailed plan that turns the master plan’s decisions into something that can be built on the ground. It shows urban blocks, road widths, the boundaries of parks and public facilities, and the building arrangement and conditions that apply to each block. Parcellation and building permits are both handled on the basis of this plan.

What the plan contains

• Block boundaries and road lines
• Land-use decisions: housing, commerce, education, parks and so on
• Building arrangement: detached, attached, block or free-form
• Buildable values such as TAKS, floor area ratio, number of storeys or maximum height
• Building lines and plan notes

These values vary from area to area and are set on the plan sheets and in the plan notes. The notes explain what the drawing shows and sometimes add further conditions.

Where it fits in a project

When a zoning certificate is requested for a plot, the authority takes its information from the implementation plan. Whatever the architect designs has to fit the envelope it defines. Testing storey count, projections and garden distances against the plan at sketch stage avoids surprises at permit stage. Plan amendments are possible, but they are slow and uncertain, so it is sensible to design to the plan currently in force.