Sustainable Urban Development Association

SUDA – Sustainable Urban and Rural Development Association and Platform is a multidisciplinary civil society organisation working to advance sustainable, regenerative and inclusive urban and rural development. We bring together expertise from academia, civil society and professional practice and collaborate with local authorities, communities, national and international organisations and private-sector actors. Our approach connects research, policy and practice, combining evidence-based expertise with participatory methods and locally grounded implementation. Our work spans sustainable urban and rural development, participatory local governance, community engagement, environmental sustainability, social and economic development, youth participation and inclusion. We also have experience in non-formal education, facilitation, coaching and mentoring, particularly in activities involving young people and people with fewer opportunities. Our main areas of expertise include: • Sustainable urban, rural and regional development • Participatory local governance and stakeholder engagement • Community development and social inclusion • Youth participation and fewer-opportunities outreach • Non-formal education, facilitation, coaching and mentoring • Urban planning, urban design and architecture • Environmental sustainability, ecology and biodiversity • Regenerative development and community resilience • Smart cities, urban mobility and city management • Climate, energy, hydrology and coastal sciences • Sustainable tourism, agriculture and local development • Social and economic development • Urban sociology, urban law and governance • Earthquake resilience, urban conservation and renewal • Project design, development and management A key example of our work is the Participatory and Inclusive Local Governance Project in Safranbolu, implemented in cooperation with Safranbolu Municipality. SUDA designed and facilitated a multi-stakeholder process combining stakeholder analysis, interviews and surveys, focus groups and participatory workshops to support local dialogue and the development of project ideas and a local roadmap. The process contributed to Safranbolu Municipality's Voluntary Local Review (VLR) and was subsequently referenced in Türkiye's 2026 Voluntary Subnational Review (VSR). SUDA is supported by an 18-member Advisory Board of academics and professionals from diverse disciplines, with strong representation from Istanbul Technical University (ITU). This multidisciplinary structure allows us to build project teams according to the needs of each initiative and combine technical, social, environmental and participatory expertise. SUDA has experience in Erasmus+ project implementation and project development and in building international partnerships. In European cooperation projects, we can contribute to project and methodology design, research and needs assessment, stakeholder engagement, participatory processes, training and facilitation, youth and community outreach, local implementation and dissemination. We are open to cooperation with NGOs, municipalities, universities, educational organisations and other institutions developing Erasmus+ Youth, Adult Education and VET projects, as well as other European initiatives aligned with our areas of expertise.