A Participation-Based Urban Design Project in Batıkent

Responding to a request from NGOs in Batıkent, LAUD undertook an experimental urban design process spanning both semesters of the 2019-2020 Academic Year. The request was for developing an inactive area into a public space for a dominantly residential area. Instead of limiting the problem to spatial design, we enlarged it to cover two courses during which senior students actively engaged with the social dimensions of the problem as well. In the Urban Sociology course in the Fall semester, the students conducted fieldwork to research and report on the urban dynamics of the site and the requests of the residents as well as the NGO representatives. In the Professional Practice course in the Spring semester, students developed spatial design projects that responded to this research. Because of the Covid-19 conditions, we organized digital meetings to get feedback from the residents of the area. At the preliminary stage in May, the students presented their projects to NGO and City Council representatives and collected their feedback. The final projects were presented and thoroughly discussed in an online meeting at the end of June, to which more than 70 people participated, including residents, NGO representatives, City Council administrators and academics. It is planned that one project will be selected to be implemented at the area.