Seeking public space: Architecture, democracy and citizenship in Turkey

Abstract

Architecture is fundamentally a political activity. What makes living interesting is the environment that changes constantly, and politics is not only the essence of this alternating environment, but also it is the essence of the design process. The experience I had during Gezi Park protests in Turkey has changed my perspective about occupying and sharing a public space. The social and political influences of the protest have encouraged many citizens to be aware of their environment. In the course of demonstrations, protestors chose a symbol that reflects the ideology of the uprising: a tree. Certainly the issue was beyond a tree, but it was representing the connection between urban public spaces and citizens. This paper investigates how to create a political public space that minimizes government resistance and empowers citizens to actively participate in the decision-making process. The research is executed using an empirical method and through observations, case studies, interviews, and literature, data is collected for analysis. The potential of 'virtual' public space in conjunction with the importance of 'physical' public space allows for the expansion of conventional criteria of democratic action, which further empowers the citizen by alleviating the force of government interventio