Istanbul has been one of the most important points in history, where civilizations have been established and shaped throughout history, and societies have engaged in intense struggles. As a matter of fact, the conquest of Istanbul ended an era and started another. It is an inevitable result that such a popular settlement will undoubtedly attract dense populations. While the historical peninsula, also known as “the walled city”, was the most important attraction center, the city of Istanbul grew a lot with the Republic Period, suburbs became cities, satellite cities emerged and Istanbul witnessed an unplanned and uncontrolled growth. Especially Bakırköy outside the city walls and the districts of today's separation from Bakırköy (such as Bahçelievler, Güngören, Esenler, Bağcılar) were the places where the fastest urbanization activities were observed on the European side. Among them, Bağcılar district, which constitutes our research area, has become a settlement where almost all of its land is covered with urban equipment. It is even possible to say that Bagcilar is a district covered with an uninterrupted urban area, except for a very limited area. However, urgent measures should be taken for Bağcılar, where there are serious deficiencies in preparation for this intense, distorted, and possible Marmara earthquake. In this study, the current urban structure of Bağcılar district, its natural conditions, and what needs to be done are examined by considering possible earthquake scenarios. As a result of the field studies, analyses made from satellite images, and limited literature studies, things to be done before and after the earthquake in Bağcılar are listed.
Istanbul, Bağcılar, Urbanization, Earthquake, Disaster Management.