The “participation” approach within architectural design is assessed under a wide conceptual frame and known as a title generally confirmed and rately criticised. This paper discusses how the concept of participation may be used as a means of legitimization by the power holders instead of being favoured as a tool for democratic and transparent policy formation in the decision-making processes. The use of participation, which is a subject of research in sociology studies, but as a means of legitimization has been explained by Kanter (1977, 1993) through the concept of ‘token’. The concept ‘token’ is identified throughout this text as a misleading symbol value whereas the ‘tokenism’ as a method is referred to as alleged participation. The tokenisim (i.e. alleged participation) is a subject not limited only with sociology whereas it may be spotted in architectural projects; thus, this document examines the Sulukule urban transformation process to exemplify this kind of participation. The study analyzes the theoretical claims of Arnstein, Lefebvre and Kanter with regard to the participation and accordingly the wording attempts to identify the general characteristics of tokenism cases in architectural projects which target user participation however include the intentions of power holders as accompanied by token impacts.

In 30’s, the conceptual debates on Modern Architecture in Turkey gained a new dimension by the arrival of german speaking and German avant-garde architects and urban planners. These architects and urban planners have tried to apply the experiences they have gained in their countries in our country. As far as the history of the influences of foreign architects coming to Turkey in the early Republican era is concerned, researches were usually done on architects and urban planners in the first category. However, there are a group of avant-garde / preliminary architects who have played a very effective and influential role in shaping the new architectural discourse, as well as a quiet experience of a backward-looking experience of lesser known specialists / architects. For example, this is the situation of a group of architects working in the Urban Development Bureau under Bruno Taut in Turkey between 1936 and 1938. In this article, information about the Taut and Franz Hillinger, working with him and the immigrant architects in the lower category, obtained from “Berliner Akademie der Künste, Building Art Archive” will be gathered and illuminated in the 1930s Turkish architectural environment. It is also aimed to increase the knowledge and awareness about the Early Republican period architecture and the related literature and information about the period, which can contribute to the role of foreign architects.

Over the last three decades, one of the most important issues in economic geography and regional development, which have occurred in the background of industrial clusters, is concerned with understanding factors such as social, economic and spatial characteristics based on social capital, social networks, trust and proximity. Increasing interest in clusters has focused on issues such as how these factors will be the role of evolution within industrial clusters. In this paper, non-economic factors behind the evolution of industrial clusters in Turkey have been discussed through social networks. The aim of this article is to determine the role of social networks on evolution of innovation in industrial clusters. In this context, the main hypothesis about the source of social networks and innovation is that social networks have a decisive influence on the changing of innovation activities through formal and informal linkages having out-cluster and intra-cluster of Ankara and Konya machinery engineering firms. The data used in the study were obtained by in-depth interviews and surveys conducted on sample clusters. It has been verified that social networks are determinants of innovation, although the social networking potentials of the clusters are different.

In this article, the location differentition of innovative firms is examined through the agglomeration and dispersion effects of economic activities in urban centers/urban regions and the location of innovation discussions. To introduce an explanation, yet in a limited dimension, for the spatial differention of innovative firms, the location of innovative firms are analyzed through location either in urban center or urban region; in organized production sites or in a scattered form through the agglomeration and dispersion effects and also by taking the sectoral differention into consideration. As a conclusion, the study puts forward that innovative firms in İzmir locate predominantly in organized production areas, the sectoral differention is significant for the location of the firms and lastly, although the innovative firms in urban center is more than the urban region there is important number of innovative firms located in the pheripherial districts of İzmir.

İstanbul has grown in an uncontrolled way with unplanned and illegal buildings induced by industrialization and migration and turned into an ‘overgrown’ city that hosts a number of urban problems since 1950s. With a view to stopping this adverse development and ensuring planned and healthy development of and raising the living quality in the metropolitan city through planning actions, an Environmental Arrangement Plan of Istanbul was drawn up through a collaboration between the Istanbul Metropolitan Planning Centre (IMP) and the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) during 2005-2009. In order to attain the goals established in the plan, some projects were chosen and tried to be implemented. One of most important projects developed for the eastern side of Istanbul is the project for transformation of the industrial area in Kartal into a Central Business District (CBD). One objective of the project is to create a new centre in the eastern part of the metropolis and thus reduce the daily commutation between the eastern and the western parts of the city as well as the heavy traffic through the strait crossing. Another aim is to redirect the capital and construction pressure which is concentrated on the metropolis to the wings. In this paper, I, as a person who took part in the planning work as an executive and performer, basically intend to evaluate the competition for and the planning process of the “Kartal urban transformation project” that has been proposed in accordance with the aforesaid goal as established in the Istanbul environmental arrangement plan and to discuss the attitude of the professional organizations against the plan from the points of the “public benefit, principles of urbanization, and principles of planning.”

It is known that the second housing is primarily seen in developed countries due to the increase in purchasing power and in free time. Within the process, changes in lifestyles, high demand for leisure time use and recreational activity; have been seen as the most important reasons for the conceptual development of the secondary housing term. The second housing, which has became an integral part of the urban life, reshapes the economic structure by differentiating the socio-cultural structure of the space and determines the growth direction of the settlement areas. For these reasons, the second housing emerges as one of the important dynamics in the formation and growth of the urban space. Sprawling urban development of İstanbul towards the second housing areas is a phenomenon that refers to extent urbanization. Especially after 1980, it is seen that the increase in the population and the increase in the construction has been effective in transforming the secondary residential areas into the urban residential areas. The main purpose of the study is to question the relations between social structures and spatial characters (space quality, accessibility, effect on the natural structure, usage- consumption balance) of the second housing areas choosing place on the shores of Istanbul. While explaining the criterias for site selection of secondary housing areas, the study reveals how the defined relationships have changed in the historical process and how the growth direction of the city has influenced. Within this scope, the objective is to figure out the user profile and spatial development of the second houses in the different coastal areas of Istanbul. Using the data obtained from the questionnaire studies, the different social, economic and spatial structures of the second housing estates clustered in different subregions were discussed comparatively.

Neoliberal urbanization policies began to affect Çanakkale from the beginning of 2010. With this effect, the increasing force on urban growth has led to the development of several coastline projects in Çanakkale. The civil initiatives of the city have started a resistant struggle, against the rising growth, in and out of the city council to prevent the implementation of these projects. Today against the neolibaral urbanization the concept of ‘the Right to the City’ which Lefebvre developped in 1968, gained more significance. The right to the city movement which organized against the projects developed with the aim of transforming urban space is the main goal of this study. The urban opposition flourished from civil society emerged with the demand to participate in the decision-making on the spatial development of the city by the municipality. The struggle, then, gradually became a struggle for the right to the city, spreading a broader social dimension and more stability. Within the scope of this research, two projects which were halted by the urban opposition, including the Marina project and the project developed in the area of Tekel land, were discussed. The emergence of these projects, their content and the urban opposition organized against these projects were analyzed with the in-depth interviews, and the media monitoring and the publications of urban opposition are also examined in this context. Where two different forms of urban opposition, namely deliberative and resistant, experienced in the case of Canakkale, the civil society in the city strengthened and the relationship between the municipality and the civil society was redefined. This article claims that right to the city struggle in Çanakkale has emerged from a mutual relationship between the consolidation of local democracy and social transformation.

Istanbul has a privileged place among the settlements established around the world in terms of its geographical features. However, immigration from the rural to the city and the rapid urbanization that has taken place have changed the relationship that Istanbul has established with water. Based on this change, the article examines the social, cultural and economic structure of the residents of Istanbul coastal settlements as of 2011. In this review, household surveys conducted in the Black Sea and Marmara coasts of European and Anatolian enclaves and settlements on two coasts of the Bosphorus are used and the findings are defined as spatial. Household surveys were evaluated in two categories; 1) Socio-economic structure: identification of the general profile and demographic components of households. 2) Use of coastal areas: determination of the nature of coastal areas, relationships between user and existing functions. As a result of the evaluation, the following questions were tried to be answered;
1. The coastal regions where the population with different socio-economic structure shows concentration,
2. The population with different socio-economic structure, the coastal area, the coastal use and the coastal perception,
3. Basic characteristics of the physical environment of the coastal areas where the population with different socio-economic structure concentrates.
Although the population living in coastal regions of Istanbul has different characteristics in terms of socio-economical results, it is seen that coastal and coastal relations do not vary much, and that the coastal area of the city has a very weak relation with the coastal area and the perception and expectations related to coastal areas are low.

Montessori education gathers around two purposes: biological and social purposes. Helping natural development of an individual is targeted in the biological part, and preparation of an individual for the environment is targeted in the social part (Montessori, 1947). Fundamental element of Montessori approach is to form the space. Although there are plenty of studies present in the literature on this subject, it was noted that studies on interior spaces, with which people have quite intensive and higher level of relationship, turned out to be very few. Thus, in this study, in the context of findings determined by conceptual components affecting physical characteristics in the formation of interior spaces, particularly in kindergartens applying Montessori education model, which has become widespread in preschool educational institutions in Turkey during the past ten years; For this reason five (all) institutions in Ankara were selected as the area of study with more than one data collection technique, and survey with quantitative approach, and document investigation with qualitative approach and monitoring (mechanical) techniques were used. In the applied study, characteristics making up the interior space in preschool educational institutions were studied in the content of the titles of Properties of Interiors, General Spatial Standards of Day Care Centre, Atmospheric Properties Floor, Wall, Furnishings etc...), Furniture and Equipment, and the sample interior- space forming model for design setting was suggested.

Cities, streets, buildings and playgrounds transform and evolve in time. These places are public spaces and should be available for every user, being a place suited for everybody, not excluding the disabled. Cities, being immediate surroundings, have a huge effect on the residents’ lives. The effect of environment on differently abled children, who not only has to survive through challenges of their disability but also in the process of a continuous development, is even greater. Being disabled as a child shouldn’t mean to be excluded from the group of peers which have a great role in the physical and the psychological development of the child. This paper is describing several types of disabilities and the effect of environment on children with these disabilities. Problems of children with sight loss, reduced mobility, hearing problems and different intellectual abilities are described. It is indisputable, that these children need much attention. Being a part of the social group can help them in developing their communication and physical skills by playing or just spending time with others. In the paper, characteristic of a common playground which is a public space designed for children has been made. The equipment and the material of the “a playground for all” are described. Designing and material considerations are made and the ground, playground equipment, materials and colors and level differences are characterized. The aim of this paper is to lead a way for the designer to build a place for the children which will be fully accessible for every child.

Plant material which has an important role in landscape designs with its functions in our living environment, when used as design element, some design elements, principles and criteria is considered. In this study, it was aimed to determine whether the preferences of different design groups (academicians, students and public-private sector) trained in planting design overlap with the theoretical background suggested in the literature. Within the scope of the study, a questionnaire was conducted under the five main headings (criteria considered in planting design, planting design principles, planting design elements, planting design approaches, contribution to learning methods used in the planting design training process) with 33 features. According to the results of the questionnaire conducted with 192 participants, it was revealed that the most preferred features in planting design and applications were locality suitability, color, aesthetic feature, form, sustainability, originality and size. Consequently, it was seen that preferences of designer groups generally were same direction and overlap with the theoretical background even preferences ranking on criteria, principles, elements and approaches of them were slightly different.

Urban centers contain several functional elements. They contain several functions and spaces such as buildings, gardens, parks, shopping areas, residences, health and educational institutions, transportation arteries and accommodations, etc. One of the most significant physical public spaces in the urban scale is the streets and route axes. The focal points of urban life are the public spaces that define the main urban character and make it possible to fulfill and share several social, cultural, recreational and commercial requirements of the urbanites. It has been always important in urban planning for the urbanite to be able to move in a healthy, safe and comfortable manner within the city and access of all user types to urban spaces. Rapid urbanization resulted in unplanned spatial development in the city of Trabzon in Turkey, similar to several metropolitan cities during recent times. Rapid urbanization caused changes in the urban socio-physical structure, leading to the emergence of a transportation system that is dependent on vehicle transportation. Within the said dependency, the main urban axes started to lose their safety, comfort, and for public welfare qualities and their relationship with landscape features were completely ignored. It was determined that there were 98 different closed spaces and 18 different functions in the on-location studies conducted on northern and southern sections of the Trabzon Kahramanmaraş Street, which was selected as the subject of the present case study. Traffic flow directions and public transportation stop locations were determined. It was determined that there were structural landscape elements such as stairs, ramps, lighting, telephone booths, garbage bins, flower pots, billboards, walls, seating units and covering elements on the street and certain plant species including Trachycarpus fortuneii, Ligustrum japonicum, Rosa sp., Thujo occidentalis, Pladycladus orientalis, Pinus pinaster, Pinus pinea, Cercis siliquastrum, Betula pendula, Cedrus libani, Taxus baccata were identified. Based on pedestrian density, Zone 1 was located at the intersection of the street with the square. It was found that the second zone was located at Ziyad Nemli Art Street and its immediate surroundings. The surveys conducted with users demonstrated that they had negative views about the physical conditions of the street. It was determined that 73% of the respondents expressed a positive opinion on the question associated with pedestrianization. In conclusion, the present study aimed to determine the views and requests of the users with the survey and observation methods to construct solutions that would serve the requirements of the residents concerning the pedestrian movements, vehicle and pedestrian density and pedestrian zone on Trabzon city Kahramanmaraş Street and to develop recommendations based on the identified problems.

In our days, globalization is one of the most important things that influence our consumption habit and way of living, thus the human being. Globalization that causes societies to resemble one another and become almost the same is considered to be important factor that influence the form of living rooms which is the center of humans’ experience as well as choice of furniture which shape these living rooms. In that context, we analyze the choice of furniture in living rooms in terms of globalization. Within the scope of the study, whether houses in chosen area are affected by globalization and how it reflects the choice of furniture in living room are examined. Thus, it was aimed to determine whether different furniture choices for different users were different, and whether differences in furniture designs would be made for different users in the globalizing world. Within the scope of the study, residences where users with different socio-economic levels lived and where global / local distinction was most felt were examined. The questionnaires prepared by open and closed questionnaires were applied by using one - on - one interview technique and in situ detection studies were also conducted. As a conclusion, the affect of globalization can be felt in the living rooms and it reflects to the choice of furniture. Two different user groups were selected as the study group in this study according to the use of communication tools and social activity levels. It has been determined that both user groups differ in their furniture preferences. Also, with the development of the use of media, it is thought that the choice of furniture by houses from different classes will become more similar.