ANNUAL CONGRESS 2025

Designing Safer School Zones: Bridging Immediate Needs and Long-Term Urban Solutions

Not scheduled

20m

Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul

Oral SS 20 | Changing the Street-Set: From Tactics to Strategies, From Streets to Cities and Beyond

Speaker

Ms Beyza Gürdoğan (Superpool)

Description

Change is rarely straightforward and is often met with resistance, especially in complex urban settings. To address these challenges, cities are increasingly adopting tactical implementation methods—small-scale, testable interventions that are backed by data-driven insights. These approaches allow for real-time testing, evaluation, adaptation, and appropriation, providing the evidence needed to drive larger, transformative urban solutions.

Superpool, a research-based design studio, collaborates with municipalities to apply these strategies, creating safer, more accessible streets for children, families, and communities. In partnership with the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s Directorate of Transportation, Superpool conducted a comprehensive field study to advance the Safe School Zones Policy and assess safety conditions around Istanbul's school streets. The study, encompassing 43 public elementary schools, 73,830 students, and 1,844 parents, revealed alarming infrastructure deficiencies: 44% of schools have sidewalks narrower than 1.8 meters, and 53% lack essential crosswalks, intensifying safety risks. Despite 72% of caregivers preferring walking as a convenient and affordable option, only 10% feel that current conditions make it a safe choice. The daily congestion surrounding Istanbul's primary schools—marked by overcrowded streets, traffic gridlock, and parents navigating through moving vehicles with their children—underscores the critical need for safer school zones.

Designers act as mediators in implementing tactical interventions guided by robust data collection and analysis. Superpool, leveraging its extensive field research, translates raw data into actionable, context-sensitive solutions. Through collaboration with multiple cities, the studio serves as a facilitator, aligning community needs with municipal objectives to develop scalable, evidence-based interventions. These interventions empower designers, policymakers, and communities to co-create school streets as safer, more inclusive public spaces. Agile, data-driven strategies enable interventions to remain responsive to local needs while fostering long-term urban improvements.

Furthermore, research-based design studios play a significant role in integrating tactical interventions within broader policy frameworks. By linking immediate safety concerns with long-term urban development goals, such studios may contribute to the development of adaptive and scalable strategies that promote equity and sustainability. However, it remains open to discussion whether designers can effectively mediate between short-term solutions and systemic change, and how they might contribute to the creation of more inclusive and sustainable urban environments in the process.