What Is Urban Transformation (Kentsel Dönüşüm) in Turkey? The Risky Building Assessment Process Explained
🇹🇷 This article describes regulations and processes specific to Turkey — requirements differ in other countries.
A building isn't declared a 'risky structure' by a single authority's decision — it happens through an official process running from a licensed firm's report to an annotation on the title deed. Here's how that process works, and where you have a say as a building owner.
"Urban transformation" is often described in everyday conversation as a process that begins with a single decision — but in fact, it starts with a formal, technical step: the risky building assessment. Without this assessment, a building simply cannot enter the scope of urban transformation.
What is a risky building assessment?
A risky building assessment is a technical inspection that evaluates whether a building's structural system is adequate under the current earthquake regulation. This inspection can't be carried out casually — only institutions and firms licensed by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change can perform it, and the cost is borne by the building owner.
How does the process work?
After the licensed firm conducts a site inspection and prepares a report, that report is submitted to the province's Directorate of Infrastructure and Urban Transformation within 7 days. The directorate reviews the report; if there are deficiencies, it's returned for correction, and if not, it's approved. The approved report is then forwarded to the land registry office within 10 business days, and a "risky structure" annotation is added to the title deed record.
The building owner's right to object
A title deed annotation isn't automatically final. Building owners or their legal representatives can file an objection with the relevant directorate or municipality within 15 days of notification. If this window is missed, the right to object can no longer be used — so acting promptly once notified matters.
How risky-building status relates to the architectural project
The risky building process concerns the decision to demolish a building; the rebuilding phase then runs the soil survey, structural design, and building inspection chain again, from scratch, under the current regulation. The risky building assessment is the starting point of that new process — not the process itself.
Our process at MEEZ Mimarlık
We don't carry out risky building assessments ourselves — that requires a separate license and scope of authority. But once the transformation decision has been made, we stand alongside landowners through the architectural design and permitting process for the new building.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can carry out a risky building assessment?
Only institutions and firms licensed by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change can perform a risky building assessment; the cost is covered by the building/property owner.
Can a risky building report be appealed?
Yes. Once the 'risky structure' annotation is added to the title deed, building owners or their legal representatives can file an objection with the relevant Urban Transformation Directorate or the municipality within 15 days of notification.
What happens after the report is approved?
Once the report is reviewed and approved, it's forwarded to the relevant land registry office, and a 'risky structure' annotation is added to the title deed record; from that point, the demolition and reconstruction process begins.
