Post-earthquake master planners say engagement with local people helps 'healing'.

Involving local people in post-disaster rebuilding can help recover from shocks and ensure communities recover effectively, say Foster + Partners architects who designed the Antakya masterplan in the wake of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

“The process of being part of rebuilding, regrowth and healing is a big word, but I think there is something healing when you help restore a place,” said Foster + Partners head of urban design Bruno Moser.

“In terms of the psychological experience of the person experiencing trauma, there is a need to come together through bodily construction and bodily ownership [a place]“Even if it was impossible to build it exactly as it was,” added studio partner Nicola Scaranaro.

The architects spoke at a conference held at the Hatay Community Centre

Moser and Scaranaro spoke to Dezeen last month after a presentation in Antakya, the capital of Hatay province, where they outlined Foster + Partners' goal to rebuild the city. The ceremony was held at the newly constructed Hatay Community Center.

The studio is developing the masterplan in the wake of the deadly earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria on February 6, 2023, which devastated cities and killed more than 50,000 people.

Foster + Partners was commissioned to lead the project by the Turkish NGO Design Council, which is leading wider recovery efforts, starting with Hatay.

Studio “Borrow from the city before”

While details about Foster + Partners' design have not yet been fully revealed, Moser and Scaranaro explained that the studio was developing it in part through collaboration with local residents.

“As designers, the main challenge is to find the balance between repeating the old and reconstructing memories, but also bringing in international best practices and knowledge,” Moser told Dezeen.

“For us, the design is about borrowing from the city before the earthquake,” he said.

This prompted the studio to develop a six-step methodology for the project that prioritizes listening and working with displaced communities to ensure a proper understanding of local needs and culture, Scaranaro explained.

“In order to provide the best master plan strategies, we took into account what was there before, what needed to be protected, and what needed to be enhanced,” Scaranaro said.

“We have developed a six-step methodology – learn, listen, understand, recover, improve and future-proof.”

Masterplan 'inspired by the city before the earthquake'

As part of this, the studio created an online platform for local people to share memories and thoughts.

This has been used to develop a map-based survey that provides an insight into life in Antakya before the disaster, and is available as a reference for all those involved in the wider project.

“We created an online platform, allowing people who are no longer within the city to give us feedback, telling us what they like about the city in their daily lives, but also what the pressure points are and what didn't quite work well,” Moser explained.

The masterplan is conscious of the “sensory memory of the city.”

According to Scaranaro, among the most interesting findings is that locals frequently talked about their sensory memories of the city — especially the smells and sounds of cooking.

“The people of Antakya are very proud of their city’s unique culinary traditions that blend diverse influences from Turkish, Arabic and Mediterranean cuisine,” Scaranaro explained.

He continued: “For many, the sensory memory of the city revolves, consciously or unconsciously, around the smell and sound of cooking, revealing how many human experiences are processed through the senses.”

Ensuring this becomes part of Antakya residents' daily lives again will influence the design and layouts of the masterplan, Scaranaro said.

“Our observations suggest that a spatial network of businesses, entertainment areas, neighborhoods with socially connected shops and housing will be essential to allow life in Antakya to recover.”

Turkey and Syria earthquakes reconstruct “the world's most complex urban problem,” says Muhammad Kalyoncu.

The concept of learning from the city before disaster strikes was also influenced by Foster + Partners' research into the successes and failures of other countries that had to rebuild after the earthquake.

Many of these precedents, including Sicily, L'Aquila and Emilia-Romagna, are in Italy, but the studio has found some of its most successful examples in Japan.

Through their research, the studio found that Japanese cities are often rebuilt after an earthquake in a way that allows people to live alongside their old neighbors and participate in cultivating the new landscape – helping communities quickly re-establish themselves.

“We saw in some cases that it was not possible to rebuild in the same place because the risks were too high, and they moved to a different place, but they maintained the proximity,” Scaranaro explained, referring to Japanese cities.

“So, if you're my neighbor, you're my neighbor replacing you in the new place. They tend to maintain the community,” he said.

As well as working with local residents, Foster + Partners also collaborates with a number of experts from across the fields of engineering, sustainability and heritage.

These include architecture firm Buro Happold and Danish studio BIG, as well as Turkish architecture studios including DB Architects and KEYM.

“We must hold the mirror up to ourselves,” say Turkish architects in the wake of the earthquakes

In terms of scale, the masterplan will be based on the city before the earthquake but will be enhanced with modern designs and technologies, more community centers and improved transport links.

Creating more public green spaces and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods will also be key, Moser said.

“The design is inspired by the pre-earthquake city, in terms of its size and spatial structure, while striving to enhance its local character and climate resilience,” Moser said.

“The masterplan strategies promote the birth of a compact, walkable, greener and more resilient urban environment,” he added.

“The green spaces are only a five-minute walk away, and public transport and micromobility options have been improved. There is also provision for refuge spaces for future emergencies.”

“There has never been an era in which we lost so many cities in such a short time.”

Currently, Antakya and the surrounding area remain largely in ruins, with many displaced families living in makeshift camps amid masses of rubble.

Many Turkish architects believe that the scale of devastation caused by the 2023 earthquakes was exacerbated by poor construction and a disregard for legislation in the country.

They have called for improvements to both architectural education and practice as part of a broader recovery plan, to prevent history from repeating itself.

In an interview with Dezeen, Turkish Design Council Chairman Mehmet Kalyoncu said he hoped the rebuilding of Hatay would set an example of high-quality earthquake-resistant construction in the country.

“Hatay will be rebuilt starting from the center,” he said. “So, if the center has good design and good and real planning [align] With the regulations, then hopefully the rest will follow.”

In the same interview, Kalionko added that he hopes the masterplan will serve as a blueprint for other cities having to rebuild around the world.

He explained: “There was no era in which we lost so many cities in such a short time. We lost Beirut, we lost Aleppo, and we are losing Gaza now.”

“Therefore, as the Turkish Design Council, as an NGO that has had a recent and most challenging experience, we want to continue in other geographical areas of the world.”

Likewise, Scaranaro hopes a lesson other cities can learn is the success of listening to the needs of local residents when recovering from disasters.

“The process of rebuilding after a natural disaster is about rebuilding trust, as well as a sense of security and belonging,” he concluded. “Learn, listen, understand, restore, improve, design for the future.”

Photos by Lizzie Crook.

Dezeen In Depth

If you enjoy reading Dezeen interviews, opinions and features, subscribe to Dezeen In Depth. Sent out on the last Friday of every month, this newsletter provides one place to read the design and architecture stories behind the headlines.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos