Evaluation of user participation approaches through architectural design and application processes

The concept of "participation" in architectural design has been assessed in a wide range of conceptual framework; whereas, has been, generally, a title affirmed but rarely criticised. This thesis concentrates on the means of using the participation as a legitimization tool by the dominant actors, rather than accepting the concept as a democratic and transparent political leverage through the decision-making processes. Kanter (1977, 1993) explains the process of evolving the concept to a legitimization tool in the business places, as a title of sociological studies, by making use of the phrase "token". The word "token" is misleading symbol value as also expressed through the wording of this study; whereas the tokenism is used as the alleged participation. Kanter, "under its theory of structural empowerment", connects the strengthening of these misleading symbol values with the access to the information, source and support. Tokenism (alleged participation) is not limited only with the science of sociology; indeed may be observed in architectural projects. In architectural acts, the cooperation between the certain actors and interests eventually causes conflicts and disputes among the actors and consequently results in challenges against a real radical participation. The thesis recommends the inclusion of the neutral mediating actor/actors to the participation process to resolve such disputes and to ensure the transition from tokenism to radical participation. As to express the types of the participation as "alleged" and "radical" with regard to the architectural projects, Sulukule Urban Transformation and Renewal Project has been deemed as a tokenism example whereas Beyköy Hope Homes Project as a radical participation example. Beriköy Houses then has been placed as a partial participation example finally in our study. The tokenism method of Kanter in sociology corresponds to the tokenism steps in the participation typology ladder of Arnstein (1969) for architecture. Moreover, the spatial codes and citizen participation approach of Lefebvre (1974) have also been referenced to define the qualities of tokenism and radical participation. The participation explanations of the aforementioned theorists have been examined and accordingly it has been tried to establish the general qualities of the dominant party, token (misleading symbol value) as well as of the tokenism and radical participation concepts with regard to the architectural projects claiming to be user participant. Finally, through the assessment of the aforementioned examples, this thesis recommends a method of participation based on the roles of the mediating actor/actors to be used for transition to the radical participation target.