This policy brief introduces a successful solution to convert Zonguldak, a peripheral shrinking city in north-western Turkey, into a compact and connected urban area. Amongst many promising initiatives, recently identified by the local stakeholders, Zonguldak Harbour (Coastal Area) Recreation Project has been put forward as the exemplar of sustainable urban development, improved accessibility, and connectivity. This project, initiated by Zonguldak Governorship in 2012, is aimed at redeveloping the heavily industrialised coastal strip of Zonguldak for leisure, sports, recreation, and entertainment. The first implementation phase (2016-2018) involved drawing spatial design and architectural plans for the redevelopment of the coastal strip around Zonguldak harbour, cleaning up the harbour area, and demolishing unregistered buildings that were illegally constructed on public land. Zonguldak’s harbour redevelopment has been a transformational project that is changing the image of the city from a polluted coal-mining hub to a more liveable municipality, with attractive public amenities and recreational facilities. The key lesson learnt is that collaborative efforts of local stakeholders are imperative not only for favourably shifting the public perception of a shrinking city but also for giving its local inhabitants a sense of attachment, belonging, and pride.

3S RECIPE is part of the Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) Urban Europe's ERA-NET Cofund Smart Urban Futures Call (ENSUF). This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 857160.