Over the last twenty years Istanbul has directed its growth mainly to the north and west — the north-western corridor of the European side. At the very centre of this corridor lies the Arnavutköy district and its Yenişehir region. Many of the city’s largest recent infrastructure investments are located here or right next to it.
Airport in the district
Istanbul Airport is within the Arnavutköy boundaries — adjacent to the region.
Canal route
The planned Istanbul Canal route is designed to pass through Arnavutköy.
Motorway connection
Connected to the intercontinental northern axis via the North Marmara Motorway and the YSS Bridge.
✈️ Istanbul Airport (İGA)
Istanbul Airport sits within the Arnavutköy district, near the Black Sea coast. It opened in 2018 and most scheduled flights moved here in 2019. When completed in stages it is intended to be one of the highest-capacity airports in the world. The airport plays a leading role in making the region a centre of attraction in terms of employment, logistics, hotel-commerce and surrounding roads.
- Location: Arnavutköy district (same district boundaries as the region).
- Impact: logistics, warehousing, accommodation and service investments cluster around the airport.
- Access: reach the rest of the city via the North Marmara Motorway and airport link roads.
🌊 Istanbul Canal (Planned Project)
The Istanbul Canal is an artificial waterway planned to connect the Black Sea with the Marmara Sea on the European side. The announced route follows the Küçükçekmece – Sazlıdere – Terkos line and is designed so that most of it passes through the Arnavutköy district. The project’s groundbreaking ceremony was held in 2021.
If realised, new transport axes, bridges and planned development areas are expected to form around the route. Important: the Istanbul Canal is a project subject to planning and implementation; its timeline and scope may change according to public decisions. The assessments on this page are not a commitment but informational content introducing the region.
🛣️ North Marmara Motorway & Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge
The North Marmara Motorway runs across the north of the city, connecting the European and Asian sides via the Yavuz Sultan Selim (3rd) Bridge (2016). It is one of the main transport backbones of Istanbul Airport and the Arnavutköy region, integrating the area with both the airport and the intercontinental northern axis.
The Direction Istanbul Is Growing
Where the infrastructure goes, development follows.
As the historic peninsula and the area around the Bosphorus filled up, Istanbul’s expansion reserve shifted largely to the north-western corridor. The intersection of the airport, the motorway and the planned canal in the same region places Arnavutköy / Yenişehir at the heart of the city’s new development axis. The zoning plans in the region also structure this growth with residential, commercial and social-amenity areas.