“A new integrated mass transit system is operational in Istanbul, capital of Turkey, with 37km of subway completed and more to come. There are surface tramways that connect to heritage sites where underground tunnelling is impossible; funiculars that negotiate steep hills, and ferries that connect to the European and Asian sides of the city. A passenger can use a single ticket – actually a handy computer chip that he buys and swipes for passage.
“Recently the European Union awarded Istanbul the highly competitive ‘European City of Culture 2010,’ title, the first for a non-EU member. More important, Istanbul is becoming a viable model for the 21st century megacity – places of 10 million or more inhabitants, likely by 2050 to house 20% of the world’s urban population. With its 11 million people, Istanbul is the fifth most populous city in the world, following Shanghai, Mumbai, Karachi and Delhi. It’s emblematic of megacities, now largely concentrated in Asia. But it’s no newcomer: it’s been occupied for 8,000 continuous years. It sits in an earthquake zone, it has flood-prone geography and municipal boundaries that span Europe and Asia; the internationally-governed, heavily-trafficked Bosporus River divides its territory. “
- from an assessment by Eugenie L Birch, Nussdorf Professor of Urban Research at the University of Pennsylvania, a Citistates Group Associate and a member of the Steering Committee of the World Urban Campaign.

Original article [Railways Africa]