Turkey's position in the global cities arena: The rise of Istanbul, and the development potential of Bursa and Adana

The "2024 Global Cities Report," titled "Global Cities Are Reviving in a World at Risk," published by the international consulting firm Kearney in November 2024, is a comprehensive study evaluating the world's most influential metropolises. This report examines cities using two main criteria: the Global Cities Index (GCI) measures a city's current global connectivity, while the Global Cities Outlook (GCO) assesses its future potential.

The report, which examines 156 cities worldwide, conducts its analysis across 5 key dimensions: business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience, and political engagement. In this context, 31 different indicators were considered, such as education level, access to information, internet infrastructure, and the presence of international organizations. The report emphasizes that while the world faces countless risks, global cities are reviving amidst these challenges, and in some cases, because of them.

Turkey's Place in the Global Cities Ranking

In 2024, as in the previous year, New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo remained at the top of the global cities list. While Istanbul from Turkey rose to 19th place, Ankara fell to 94th. Although Bursa and Adana did not enter the ranking directly, they are among the cities that should be evaluated based on their economic and social indicators.

In this article, we will evaluate Turkey's place in the global cities league, address the development potential of Bursa and Adana, identify their shortcomings, and offer strategic recommendations.

Istanbul: A Rising City in the Global Arena

Istanbul rose 6 places to reach 19th place in the 2024 Global Cities Index. This rise shows that Istanbul is increasingly influential on the global stage in terms of business activity, human resources, and cultural interaction.

Istanbul's Areas of Strength

• Human Resources: Istanbul rose 10 places to reach 8th place globally. This provides a major advantage in terms of attracting a qualified workforce, a talent pool, and educated individuals to the city.

• Business Activity: Istanbul continues to attract the attention of global companies and has risen to 14th place in this area.

• Cultural Experience: Being in 14th place with its historical texture, museums, festivals, and art events shows that Istanbul is in a strong position in terms of international tourism and cultural interaction.

Istanbul's Areas for Improvement

• Access to Information and Digital Transformation: Istanbul is not in the top 30 regarding digital infrastructure and access to information. Expanding access to 5G, fiber internet, and digital platforms will increase the city's competitiveness.

• Sustainability and Environmental Policies: Istanbul is a city that still needs to show improvement in combating environmental problems such as traffic and air pollution. Increasing green spaces and improving public transportation are important.

• Governance and Political Engagement: Istanbul lags behind in terms of governance and political engagement in the global cities ranking. Strengthening transparent management, democratic participation mechanisms, and making local governments more effective is a significant need.

Ankara: Left Behind Among Global Capitals

Ankara, the capital of our country, fell 4 places from the previous year to 94th place in the 2024 Global Cities Index. Despite being the center of state administration, its competitiveness among global cities is quite low.

Ankara's Areas of Strength

• Education and Research: It is strong in the academic field thanks to universities such as METU, Bilkent, and Hacettepe.

• Public Administration and Diplomacy: The presence of embassies and international organizations makes Ankara a regional center of diplomacy.

Ankara's Areas for Improvement

• Cultural and Economic Diversity: Ankara remains in the shadow of Istanbul in industry and trade. Stronger policies need to be developed for attracting international business and investment.

• Urbanism and Transportation: Steps such as increasing metro lines in urban transportation and popularizing eco-friendly transportation solutions are necessary.

Bursa: Industrial Power Must Be Supported by Global Recognition

Although Bursa did not enter the ranking directly in the 2024 Global Cities Report, it stands out as one of Turkey's important cities when evaluated by its economic and social indicators. Bursa, one of Turkey's centers of industry and trade, also draws attention with its historical and cultural heritage. However, it needs improvement in some areas in terms of global competitiveness.

Bursa's Areas of Strength

• Industry and Production: Bursa is an important production center in Turkey's automotive, textile, and machinery industries. It has a strong economic structure with large industrial organizations and export potential. Production facilities of automotive companies operating on a global scale (Tofaş, Renault, TOGG, etc.) are located in Bursa, and this strengthens the city's place in international trade.

• Human Resources and Education: Uludağ University, BTÜ, Mudanya University, and institutions providing technical education play an important role in training a qualified workforce. Especially in the fields of engineering and vocational training, the trained human power supports the city's growth based on industry and technology.

• Cultural and Historical Wealth: As the first capital of the Ottoman Empire, Bursa possesses important cultural values such as its historical monuments, traditional silk production, the Khans Area on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the tombs of Osmangazi and Orhangazi, the Hüdavendigar-Yıldırım-Yeşil-Muradiye Complexes, Cumalıkızık Village, and the Grand Mosque. It has development potential in areas such as thermal tourism, nature tourism, and winter tourism (Uludağ).

Bursa's Areas for Improvement

• Global Connectivity and Recognition: Despite its economic power, Bursa is not sufficiently represented in international city rankings. Projects that will increase brand value should be developed to attract global investments and ensure the city is better known internationally.

• Infrastructure and Transportation: Public transportation systems in Bursa need to be improved, especially by expanding rail systems. Its proximity to Istanbul can be turned into an advantage, but accelerating these connections is important. Strengthening logistics infrastructure will increase Bursa's export capacity.

• Technology and Digital Transformation: Since industry is dense in Bursa, more investment should be made in Industry 4.0 transformation. Developing digital infrastructure and increasing R&D investments can raise Bursa's global competitiveness.

• Environmental Sustainability: Due to industrial density, air pollution and environmental sustainability problems are experienced in Bursa. More importance should be given to issues such as green energy use, sustainable urbanism, and waste management.

Adana: Lost Competitiveness Must Be Regained

Although Adana is one of Turkey's important cities in terms of agriculture, industry, and trade, it was not directly included in the ranking in the 2024 Global Cities Report. Once one of Turkey's largest industrial cities, Adana has experienced an economic decline in recent years. The shift of industry to cities such as Istanbul, Kocaeli, Bursa, and Gaziantep has reduced Adana's global competitiveness.

Adana's Areas of Strength

• Agriculture and Food Industry: Adana is one of the cities with the most fertile agricultural lands in Turkey. It has a large agricultural capacity in terms of cotton, citrus, and vegetable production. It is an important economic center with agro-industry, food processing facilities, and export-oriented production.

• Industry and Logistics: The Adana Hacı Sabancı Organized Industrial Zone, one of the largest organized industrial zones in Turkey, hosts many domestic and international companies. Its proximity to Mersin Port and Çukurova International Airport, along with the container port included in the investment program, puts Adana in a strategic position in terms of logistics and foreign trade.

• Cultural and Historical Heritage: The Adana Orange Blossom Festival attracts national and international tourists to the city as one of Turkey's largest street festivals. Historical structures such as the Stone Bridge, the Great Clock Tower, and the Anavarza Ancient City increase the city's cultural richness. Gastronomy comes to the fore along with the Golden Boll Film Festival.

• Energy Production: Adana is one of Turkey's largest energy production centers. It can reach an important position in energy production with thermal power plants, hydroelectric power plants, and renewable energy investments.

Adana's Areas for Improvement

• Industry and Technology Investments: Adana must modernize its industrial infrastructure and increase technology investments.

• Global Connectivity and Attracting Investment: Although Adana has a strong economy based on industry and agriculture, it needs to attract more international companies and investments to be included in global city rankings. Incentive mechanisms that can be a center of attraction for foreign investors should be increased.

• Urban Planning and Transportation: For a more livable city, the traffic problem must be solved, and green spaces must be increased. Investments in metro and rail systems for urban transportation are insufficient. High-speed train projects with direct connections to major cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, and İzmir must be implemented.

• Technology and R&D Investments: Although industry is strong in Adana, technology and innovation-focused investments need to be increased. University-Industry cooperation projects should be encouraged, and Technoparks and R&D centers should be strengthened.

• Environmental Sustainability and Climate Policies: Due to industry and energy production, air pollution stands out as a significant environmental problem in Adana. Green energy projects, renewable energy investments, and sustainable agricultural practices should be supported.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Although the rise of Istanbul in the "2024 Global Cities Report" is promising, Turkey's major cities should focus on the following areas to increase their global competitiveness.

• Digital Transformation: 5G, smart city projects, and digital infrastructure investments should be accelerated.

• Sustainable Urbanism: Traffic and environmental problems should be solved.

• Attracting International Investment: Incentives for foreign investors should be increased.

• Education and R&D: Innovation should be encouraged by strengthening university-industry cooperation.

• Strengthening Local Governments: Municipalities should adopt a more effective and transparent management approach.

Although Bursa is one of Turkey's strongest cities in terms of industry and culture, it is not in the position it deserves in the global cities league. To increase the city's global competitiveness:

• Smart city projects that integrate industry and technology should be developed,

• International trade capacity should be increased by strengthening transportation and logistics infrastructure,

• Bursa's brand value should be raised by expanding cultural and touristic promotional activities,

• The city should be made more livable with environmental sustainability projects.

Adana, on the other hand, needs transformation to compete among global cities despite its economic and agricultural power. For this:

• Global competitiveness should be increased by ensuring technology-focused transformation in the industry and agriculture sectors,

• Adana's integration into the global supply chain should be ensured by developing logistics infrastructure and transportation projects,

• Tourism and cultural events that will increase international recognition should be supported,

• Investment should be made in eco-friendly projects by prioritizing sustainability and green economy policies.

If these and similar steps are taken, our cities like Adana and Bursa, which have very high potential but have not been able to fully utilize these potentials, will be able to reach the position they deserve in the global cities arena.