DOUGHNUT MODEL/DEAL
In alignment with the principles of Next Generation Municipalism, the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality aims to localize the Doughnut Model (1), as introduced by Kate Raworth in 2017. Unlike traditional economic models, which rely on limited, one-dimensional perspectives, the Doughnut Model places the economy within the broader context of society and the environment.
In 2023, a pilot study in the Karşıyaka district adapted the Doughnut Model—also referred to as a Governance Model for Managing Multiple Crises—as a socio-ecological measurement and benchmarking tool. Through participatory processes, this pilot study established the model’s social infrastructure, underscoring the need for innovative and transformative solutions that enhance urban residents' well-being while reducing ecological impacts.
Localized as the Gevrek Model, this adaptation centers on essential values and promotes living within ecological boundaries in a more equitable manner locally, nationally, and globally. It has the potential to offer effective solutions to global crises.
In its 2020-2024 Strategic Plan, the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality introduced 10 local Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) tailored to Izmir, complementing the 17 SDGs adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a global development framework. Aiming to eradicate extreme poverty, reduce inequality and injustice, and combat climate change, the SDGs are designed to mitigate the negative impacts of economic development on both people and the planet, setting a global agenda for sustainable societal advancement (2).
The 10 SDGs proposed for Izmir, within the scope of “Izmir's Strategy for Living in Harmony with Nature”, defined indicators specific to Izmir, such as quality of life, public transportation, democracy, urban belonging, World City Izmir, learning by living, and culture and arts. In addition, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality took a sustainability snapshot of Izmir with the first Izmir SDG Local Assessment Report (VLR) published in 2021.
In the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Strategic Plan 2025-2029, it was decided to monitor key performance indicators and strategic area goals and targets through the localized Gevrek Model. Following the localization of the Model, it is planned to update the Izmir VLR, conduct annual assessment and monitoring studies, organize workshops and publish the Gevrek Model city monitoring guide.
To enable the Gevrek Model to function as an effective governance framework for managing multiple crises in alignment with the SDGs, the Sustainability Board within the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality’s Department of Strategy Development will establish a Citizen Observatory under the Gevrek Economy Action Lab (GEAL Izmir). This observatory will monitor the model’s implementation, gather feedback, and coordinate with district sustainability offices and IZPA. Annual assessments and monitoring will further support this effort.
IZPA and the Department of Strategy Development hold joint responsibility for coordinating the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality’s transition to the Gevrek Model.
1 Raworth, K, Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways To Think Like A 21st-Century Economist, Chelsea Green Publishing, 2017.
2 Sustainable Development Goals, https://www.kureselamaclar.org/