ANNUAL CONGRESS 2025

Utilizing Assembly Areas as Catalysts for Building Resilient Communities

Not scheduled

20m

Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul

Oral Track 17 | PUBLIC SPACE

Speakers

Mehmet Ali Gasseloğlu Elif Sidar Ökdemir Ekin Ünlü

Description

This research addresses the dynamic transformations and interventions in urban spaces, tackling urban, environmental, ecological, and social challenges. These challenges often limit the ability of urban residents to influence city planning and design decisions, underscoring the critical need for active civic participation. The concept of the right to the city advocates for residents’ direct involvement in decision-making processes centered on public welfare. Public spaces play a vital role in reinforcing urban rights, fostering interpersonal relationships among citizens, and enhancing solidarity. Empowering public spaces thus emerges as a strategic approach to managing crises and cultivating social resilience in urban settings.
The 2023 earthquakes in Turkey highlighted a significant shift in the role of public spaces. Traditionally vibrant in normal circumstances, these spaces became facilitators of community gatherings and promoters of solidarity in the aftermath of the earthquakes. Drawing on these observed experiences, this study aims to design a public program focused on earthquake preparedness—an urgent issue in Istanbul. The program seeks to foster a sense of belonging and strengthen community ties within public spaces. By diversifying scenarios for public space usage, particularly in designated disaster assembly areas, and strengthening connections between individuals and these spaces, the initiative aims to enhance local communities’ capacity to respond to crises effectively.
This study proposes a three-module public program titled Meet, Share, and Connect, designed to raise awareness and enhance community readiness. The Meet module facilitates interactions among diverse actors sharing the space, fostering mutual understanding and cooperation. The Share module involves learning programs that bring together residents and experts for mutual education on disaster preparedness and resilience. The Connect module focuses on content related to community-building practices, aimed at ensuring sustained relationships and strengthening the sense of community. Collectively, these modules are designed to foster awareness and drive demand for participation rights in local decision-making mechanisms, enabling neighborhood residents to influence urban policies and practices formulated by local and central authorities.
The program is being implemented as a pilot initiative in Bakırköy Kartaltepe Mahallesi, a neighborhood identified for its strong potential to foster local solidarity. A central component of the program is a participatory disaster simulation game, designed to simulate disaster scenarios. Through this game, residents can explore roles, responsibilities, and decision-making processes in a controlled environment. This approach not only enhances disaster preparedness but also encourages cooperative problem-solving and a shared understanding of local capacities and needs. By promoting collaboration and engagement, the simulation fosters stronger bonds among community members, ensuring that public spaces are actively utilized as hubs of solidarity during crises.
The project outcomes include practical outputs such as board games designed to promote communication among community members and to strengthen their ties with public space(s). Key challenges identified during the project include the limited timeframe for implementation and the necessity of long-term engagement to tailor content for diverse social groups. The findings also emphasize the importance of a gradual handover process from the initiating team to local residents to ensure the sustainability of the initiative. By fostering a sense of belonging, enhancing local interactions, and promoting shared responsibility, the project aims to transform the way individuals relate to and use public spaces.
In conclusion, this study highlights the critical importance of empowering public spaces in building resilient communities capable of navigating crises. By focusing on strengthening local motivations for appropriation and engagement, the initiative seeks to create a replicable model for urban resilience. These methods, emphasizing belonging, community interaction, and shared responsibility, have the potential to be scaled and adapted to other urban areas, demonstrating the transformative power of public spaces in enhancing social resilience.