Kadıköy is among the most active districts on Istanbul’s urban transformation map. While the apartment stock built around Bağdat Caddesi in the 1970s and 80s is being renewed at pace, the process has become both faster and easier as of 2026: with the latest amendments to Law No. 6306, the two-thirds majority required for a transformation decision in buildings at risk was lowered to a simple majority (50%+1). Extended in September 2026 to 31 December 2027, the “Yarısı Bizden” campaign offers rights holders a non-repayable construction grant of up to 875,000 TL, a loan of the same amount on favourable terms, and relocation support. For the plots awaiting transformation on Bağdat Caddesi, this picture opens a serious window of opportunity for contractors.
The financial side is also developing in favour of rightholders: monthly rent assistance paid to owners covered by urban renewal in Istanbul has risen to a band of TRY 8,000–10,500. Digitalisation steps such as e-Devlet notifications being deemed valid on the fifth day are also shortening application and decision processes. In short, the legislation has laid the groundwork that finally brings long-undecided flat owners to the table.
What Makes the Difference on Bağdat Avenue: Architectural Quality
In Kadıköy, however, urban renewal is not simply about obtaining a permit and producing square metres. Buyer expectations along the Bağdat Avenue corridor are high; façade design, plan layout and material quality directly determine sales speed and unit price. Working with the right architectural practice is therefore one of the most critical investment decisions a developer makes. At BFTA Architects we have been demonstrating that difference since 2007 through the urban renewal apartment projects we design in Istanbul, particularly on the Anatolian side.
BFTA's Exemplary Urban Renewal Apartment Projects
Mutluş Apartment – Suadiye, Kadıköy
Located between the coastal road and Bağdat Avenue, this 3,500m² urban renewal project offers two flats per floor, separated by the core, across its nine storeys. Living rooms and kitchens face south, bedrooms north; on the façade overlooking the Sea of Marmara, two white frames and timber-and-grey banding give the building a strong identity that sets it apart from the ordinary apartment blocks along the avenue.
Metro Home – Feneryolu, Kadıköy
Designed for Helis Yapı, this 12-storey apartment project of roughly 8,000m² sits near Feneryolu railway station. With two- and three-bedroom flat types, it is a high-quality example of urban renewal in a central Kadıköy location.
Hakkı Bey Apartment – Caddebostan, Kadıköy
Designed for Ağaoğlu Cadde İnşaat, this 7,840m² urban renewal project offers a different answer to the increasingly repetitive façade character of the Bağdat Avenue corridor. The south-facing façade is left as transparent as possible, while an uninterrupted parapet line in a wave form changes the building's appearance throughout the day with the shadows cast by the south-easterly and south-westerly sun. The precast concrete façade cladding is an example of a durable, high-quality material choice at boutique apartment scale.
Alongside these projects, Şehir Konakları, Helis Maltepe and Lotus Garden and our other housing projects reflect a proven body of design experience across every typology, from boutique apartment buildings to large residential complexes.
The Architect's Role in the Permit Process
Within the boundaries of Kadıköy Municipality, the building permit process is a multi-stage technical procedure: risky-building assessment, demolition permit, zoning status analysis, and approval of the preliminary and application projects. The plan notes, floor area ratio and height conditions specific to Bağdat Avenue call for experience; incomplete or incorrectly prepared permit files can delay a project by months and directly increase financing costs. Running the structural, mechanical and electrical projects in coordination with the architectural design also speeds up approval and prevents errors on site. At BFTA we manage the entire process together with the developer — from concept design to permit drawings, from construction documents to the occupancy permit — minimising time lost to revisions.
The Right Time and the Right Partner for Developers
With the simple-majority rule and state incentives, 2026 is a year in which land-share agreements are accelerating in Kadıköy. For developers building on Bağdat Avenue and its surroundings under a flat-for-land or revenue-sharing model, quality architecture is no longer optional; it is a precondition of sales performance and brand value. If you are looking for an experienced partner for architectural design, permit projects and process management in your urban renewal scheme, get to know BFTA Architects.
Success in Kadıköy urban renewal projects depends on bringing the right land-share agreement, a realistic cost structure and an architectural language strong enough to carry sales to the same table. Having an experienced technical team beside you at every stage — from risky-building assessment to the occupancy permit — protects both the schedule and the budget. We are open to talking about your plots on and around Bağdat Avenue even at the feasibility stage; an architectural practice involved early eliminates the revision and delay costs that would otherwise surface later.
Some of the apartment buildings we have designed in Kadıköy are marked, neighbourhood by neighbourhood, on our map of urban transformation projects in Kadıköy.
Get in touch with us about your project: bfta.com.tr