Istanbul95, a Bernard van Leer Foundation initiative for disadvantaged children up to 3-years-old, will host a talk with architect Samuel Williams at Istanbul's Studio-X tomorrow.
Williams is a landscape architect at Arup, a leading engineering, and design company that develops sustainable living spaces to overcome the difficulties of urbanization.
In the program, Williams will touch upon cities, infrastructures and public space projects which put kids in the center and see nature as an inseparable part of the design.
He will talk about public space projects which respect children, form a just relationship with them and are necessary for their healthy life and future. He will also present a few examples that have achieved this goal.
Williams emphasizes urban planning that has respect for children are not only about playgrounds. He will focus on the impacts of integrated approaches in urban architecture on the mental, emotional and social development of children.
Istanbul95 has been jointly launched by Boğaziçi University, Kadir Has University, the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) and Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, and the Planning and Preservation's (GSAPP) initiative Studio-X Istanbul. The project is being carried out by Istanbul's district municipalities: Sarıyer, Maltepe, Sultanbeyli and Beyoğlu.
Istanbul95 is currently a pilot project and will last for two years. It emphasizes the benefits of looking at Istanbul from an elevation of 95 centimeters - the average height of a healthy three years old - and discusses the best methods to do this with local administrations.
With this purpose, the program develops model public spaces, playgrounds and green spaces for young children and their caregivers, and emphasizes the importance of early childhood with conferences and workshops.
Istanbul95 Talks focuses on the relationship between the city and early childhood. It brings world-famous experts to Istanbul to talk about their experiences.
