Since the founding of the Republic of Türkiye in 1923, Istanbul has undergone a profound transformation from an imperial center into a modern metropolis. Under the dual forces of rapid urbanization and economic globalization, Istanbul has experienced a range of urban challenges commonly conceptualized as "urban maladies." These challenges are manifested in chronic traffic congestion, the unregulated expansion of informal housing, escalating environmental degradation, and increasingly pronounced social stratification. The causes of these problems are structurally distinctive, including spatial constraints stemming from Istanbul's transcontinental, dual-continent layout, intensified pressure on urban resources driven by large-scale inmigration, development imbalances caused by the excessive concentration of economic functions, the inherent ecological vulnerability of the Bosphorus and its coastal zones, and social tensions associated with multiethnic and multicultural diversity. The interaction of these factors has generated compounded systemic pressures, undermining the city's livability and sustainable development potential. In response, Istanbul has established a multi-dimensional governance framework covering transportation, environmental regulation, housing policy, and social welfare. Initiatives such as the construction of cross-strait transportation networks, industrial relocation and port emission controls, and the legalization of informal settlements combined with the expansion of public services have contributed to mitigating urban pressures to a certain extent.