Historic Anadoluhisari Yerli Suyu waterway project consists of 7 nodes connected by the underground piping system.  The site is located in Kavacik district of the Town of Beykoz, Istanbul. To the north of the site is the major highway to cross the Bosporus. Anadoluhisari Yerli Suyu waterway is also known as Sinan Pasha Waterway in historical maps. Gazi Sinan Pasha, the Conqueror of Yemen in the 16th century, built this waterway and allowed the community to enjoy it through 9 fountains. Today, only one of these fountains is standing. The site is in a socio-economically low neighborhood.  The neighborhood is very inadequate in terms of green spaces and infrastructure. The community and Istanbulites do not feel the existence of a five-hundred-year-old waterway. Thus, this project aims to plan a neighborhood scale green infrastructure that makes the cultural heritage part of daily life and protects the integrity of the water on the site.

The neighborhood differs from its adjacent developments in scale. Compared to those developments of the last decade, the district is much more human scale and more intimate. Although there is no planned green area in the area, the vegetation texture in the residential gardens and void spaces makes a calm presence. In addition to infrastructure, building stock, and street improvements, there is a need for public space designs in which the community can come together and spend quality time. Along the Project, the subtle landscape interventions blend seamlessly into the neighborhood, offering the community the gathering and socializing spaces, enjoying water and vegetation in a cozy urban void. Every element, from benches to the terraces and seating pockets, presents a unique opportunity for community development. This Project paves a path to creatively recycling old water structure elements such as pipes, brackets, and valves in a landscape setting.  This program allows the re-utilization of these elements to promote awareness, identity, and sense of place.  Istanbul Water and Sewerage Authority’s junkyard is a heaven to be discovered. As part of the community development through landscape design, the Project focuses on different age groups and to people with different disabilities.  The diversity of sites and activities for different users will strengthen the social ties while promoting community pride and sense of the neighborhood.