May 18, 2026
Organized by the Department of Architecture within the Faculty of Architecture and Design in collaboration with the Ataşehir Municipality Disaster Management and Risk Management Directorate, the workshop titled “Public Space and Infrastructure Design in Earthquake Assembly Areas” was held on May 5-6, 2026. During the two-day event, the potential to transform urban voids into quality living spaces during disasters was discussed within an academic and technical framework.
The workshop began with an opening speech by Dean Prof. Dr. Derya Oktay, which shed light on the future of urban design and urban resilience. Following a presentation by Department Chair Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hülya Soydaş Çakır outlining the academic framework and methodology of the process, Asst. Prof. Dr. Aslı Doğan Bilgehan delivered a comprehensive presentation analyzing the concept of “Spatial Resilience”, through technical and detailed analyses.
Later in the program, participants visited the Ataşehir Municipality Disaster Management and Risk Management Directorate to examine technical standards on-site and gather information about field operations. In the second half of the first day, a comprehensive field tour and exploratory study were conducted at Park 5 in Atatürk Neighborhood, designated as the application laboratory. With the completion of the site analyses, working groups were established to form the foundation of the design process, successfully concluding the first phase of the workshop.
On the second day of the workshop, participants worked on innovative design scenarios for Park 5 based on data collected from the field. During the intensive session held in a workshop setting, proposals for modular systems, sustainable infrastructure solutions, and multifunctional amenities were developed. Through the collective efforts of students, concrete projects were created demonstrating how gathering spaces could be transformed into functional living areas in the event of a disaster.
At the end of the day, presentations of the projects prepared by the working groups were held. The faculty members who designed and led the workshop; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hülya Soydaş Çakır, Asst. Prof. Dr. Aslı Doğan Bilgehan, Lecturer Hazal Şentürk, Research Assistant Neslihan Bıyıklı, and Research Assistant Simge Gül Kökçü Mangut, provided a general academic evaluation of the process based on the presented projects.
At the conclusion of the event, it was emphasized that every flexible solution designed and every public space enhanced would become the city’s most vital resilience points in the future. We extend our gratitude to all students who worked with high motivation over the two days, to our Dean, Prof. Dr. Derya Oktay, for supporting the process with her contributions, and to all partners.
