The 22nd seminar of the “Istanbul Urban Studies” seminar series organized by the Department of Urban and Regional Planning of Istanbul Medeniyet University moderated by Res.Asst. H.Aysun ÖZKAN YAZAR was held online on 27th October 2021. At the seminar, Özge Müberra AKYÜZ (Msc.), an urban planner from IMM (Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality), presented her study titled “Koruma Amaçlı İmar Planı Yapımında Yeni Bir Yöntem: Adalar’da Katılımcı Planlama” (A New Method to Make Conservation Development Plan: Participatory Planning in Adalar).
In her presentation, AKYÜZ provided information about the context and implementation process of the planning studies carried by IMM and mentioned that citizens, planning experts, and policy makers should be considered carefully to apply participatory planning principles. She also said that planning studies carried on in Adalar was designed by covering issues like conservation, resistance–balance, and innovativeness. She continued to her presentation with planning strategies and the complementary elements, which are projects and actions. AKYÜZ evaluated the predicted results of traditional planning process for Adalar and compared them with participatory planning conducted. Ultimately, she claimed that participatory planning concept is superior in terms of caring different perspectives, common needs, and healthier solutions. Participatory methods were also said to be better at providing public trust, transparency in governance, sense of belonging for citizens and enabling application of plans by public contribution.
In the later part of presentation, the role of urban planners in the participatory planning process for Adalar was discussed. AKYÜZ also discussed how the difference of opinions of the actors are solved and the political decision-making process is prevented from being biased for the benefit of powerful actors.
