Participation in large urban projects İstanbul example

In this study, the phenomenon of participation is discussed within the scope of the necessity, importance and methods for the actors affected by the planning and implementation processes of major projects to be actively involved in these processes. Due to changing and developing world conditions; technology, communication and economy, societies and the areas they live in have started to transform / change, and many projects have started to be realized in urban space. On the other hand, people and users want to express their opinions about these projects and issues that affect their own spaces and lifestyles. This desire has brought different perspectives to the understanding of democracy in the world, and as a result, the phenomenon of participation has started to be applied. With these participation processes, individuals have a say in the areas they use. Especially for major projects, the phenomenon of participation has begun to be added to traditional planning processes and processes such as active participation, dialogue, surveys and fieldwork, and the establishment of commissions have emerged. In this study, firstly, the concepts of Urban Transformation and Major Projects are discussed. Afterwards, The concept of "participation" is presented with its various dimensions and the process of its emergence is explained. Then the variables and methods of participatory practices are discussed. It is emphasized that the participation of the public and actors in the design and implementation process of large projects is indisputably important for sustainable, democratic, need-oriented projects, and that the phenomenon of participation increases the sense of ownership of large projects, their users and the public. In this way, these projects can become actively used and sustainable. In particular, it is of great social importance that large public projects are actively used areas. In order to increase participation processes, countries today make various legal and administrative arrangements. To achieve the ideal results expected from participatory processes, all actors need to act together. Regulators, the public, experts and civil society organizations should carry out these processes together. One of the most important conditions is the public's willingness to be involved in issues that affect them. The public and actors can only participate effectively when they believe that they can influence the final decisions. In the study, different participation processes from around the world are also mentioned, and positive and negative examples are presented critically and comparatively. In the light of these examples and in line with the literature research, the study discusses how an effective participatory process should be designed and the problems that may be encountered in these processes. It is evident that major projects realized in our country lack a pluralistic and participatory approach, communication and sharing environments that enable the participation of urban actors in decision-making processes, and consultation and consensus mechanisms are not developed. Within the scope of the fieldwork of the study, two projects that have been realized in recent years and are known by many segments of the society were selected as subjects. Although the Atatürk Cultural Center and Galataport projects are known by everyone, their design and implementation processes are unknown to the public. The study involves researching the design and implementation processes of these two projects and obtaining rights and expert opinions. Through surveys and field studies, the approach of the public and experts to the "participation" processes was tried to be measured.