Parks are recognized as open public spaces with environmental, socio-cultural, and economic benefits within the urban environment. They play a crucial role in meeting people's physical and psychological needs and function as the lungs of cities that suffer congestion and turmoil. Although parks are identified as the center of social interactions within the communities by providing various recreational activities, some fail to respond to different people’s interests and desires. The user-oriented design concept offers the solution to this problem and paves the way to create active public spaces that ensure various needs of people; since it is an approach that includes people in the decision-making phase of the design process. In this study, Furuzan Toprak Park, as a neighborhood park located in Istanbul city, is chosen to be examined according to the principles of the user-oriented design concept. Accordingly, the study discusses the user-oriented design concept within the case by posing a participatory-design model to re-design Furuzan Toprak Park; meanwhile, the model offers an approach to the contemporary design process of parks. The study is conducted through using the quota sampling method to distinguish park’s active users as the participants in the interviewing process, which is carried out with the help of written and visual materials illustrating the categorization of park components. Moreover, participants are asked to use a drawing platform to explain their thoughts and demands. The findings are classified in a matrix table, analyzed, and used for the final step of re-design.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Furuzan Toprak Neighborhood Park, Participatory design model, User-centered design, Park re-design.
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