K. Bülent Köstem

Technical Coordinator, Cittaslow Turkey

Working as the Cittaslow Metropol İzmir Project Coordinator in Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, K. Bülent Köstem has also been working as the Cittaslow Turkey Technical Coordinator since 2009. Köstem works in the fields of project development, local development, civil society, city and slowness. In 2011, he was among the founders of the Association for Supporting Slow Life and served as the chairman. He was also one of the founders of the Roma Community Youth Education and Development Association. Köstem still supports non-governmental organizations as a mentor in the Social Incubation Program for Local Participation, run by Istanbul Bilgi University Social Incubation Center. Köstem, who started to work in the management of the Expo 2015 project at Meteksan Sistem in 2005, has worked in the private, public and civil society sectors. He managed the Cittaslow candidacy process of Seferihisar in 2009. As Cittaslow Turkey Technical Coordinator, he managed the candidacy processes of 18 Cittaslows in Turkey and 4 cities in the TRNC. K. Bülent Köstem, who studied Business Administration at Dokuz Eylul University and Sociology at Anadolu University, still continues his master's degree in Sociology at Izmir Demokrasi University. Köstem, who teaches "Slowness" at Ataşehir Adıgüzel Vocational School, is also among the authors of the book "Slowness". He took place as a speaker at TEDxKoçUniversity and TEDxBursa organizations on consumption and slowness.