Zoning plan

A zoning plan, or imar planı in Turkey, is the plan that sets out how a city or part of a city may develop, and it becomes binding once approved. It shows which land is for housing, commerce, industry or green space, and where roads and public facilities such as schools, parks and clinics will go. The drawings are read together with the written plan notes and the explanatory report.

Levels of planning

Spatial plans in Turkey work in tiers. Below the regional plans sits the master development plan (nazım imar planı), and below that the implementation zoning plan (uygulama imar planı). A lower-tier plan cannot contradict the one above it. The master plan sets broad decisions; the implementation plan sets building conditions at block and plot level. As a rule, municipalities prepare these plans and the municipal council approves them, though in some areas the authority lies with a ministry or another public body.

How it shapes design

How much can be built on a plot, how tall and in what arrangement are all read from the zoning plan. Values such as TAKS, floor area ratio, maximum height and setbacks are set in the plan and its notes, and the design takes shape inside that envelope. Experienced architects treat these limits less as obstacles and more as the first brief. We looked at how digital tools can support planning decisions in AI in urban planning.