Role of Local Authorities in Sustainable Development: Case Study of a District Municipality in Istanbul

Sustainable development has become one of the most important policy frames of the major international organizations at the global level especially in the context of the long-run fight with Covid-19. In the effective delivery of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) formulated by the United Nations (UN), city local authorities in particular will play key roles. Within this framework, the capacities of local authorities have critical significance in the integration of SDGs to local policies and actions. However, the concept of “capacity” in local authorities has not been adequately defined or operationalized for measurement in policy documents and academic literature. The main aim of this project is to measure the degree of SDGs’ integration in policies and actions of municipalities in İstanbul, Turkey’s foremost global city, and to assess the role of capacity-related factors that play a role in this process by pursuing an innovative method. The project seeks to contribute to the local support actions of sustainable development in Turkey by preparing a policy guide to increase the degree of SDGs’ integration into municipal policies and actions