Çankaya is a central metropolitan district of Ankara and one of the country’s main administrative, cultural and economic centres. The municipality reports a population of 947,330 and notes that its daytime population exceeds 3 million.
The JUST4CARE pilot is implemented in Bademlidere, a peri-urban area in Çankaya. What makes this area distinctive is its transitional condition: a landscape of informal settlements, recent urban development, inadequate infrastructure and strong exposure to topography-related water risk. It is also an area where urban expansion, environmental vulnerability and social fragility intersect.
The pilot focuses on building a water-resilient Urban Living Lab in Bademlidere Park. The key challenge is to address flood and heat risk while strengthening long-term local capacity, social resilience and inclusive participation. The project combines water management, climate adaptation, training and future-oriented regeneration, including skills-building linked to green employment and broader sustainable district development. The communities involved include vulnerable groups such as children, young people, women, older people and people with disabilities, as well as local residents more broadly, together with Çankaya Municipality, Bursa Uludağ University and REC, through a multi-stakeholder Urban Living Lab approach.