The Bench on the Shore: Sparking Social Interaction through Micro-Interventions

How can a bench in a public space transform into a hub for social interaction that brings strangers together? This workshop positions the ""Design Cards for Social Interaction,"" an original tool developed from the facilitator's doctoral research, at the heart of a collective creation process with professional designers. In this quest, participants will work in small groups to analyze existing urban furniture in public spaces that reflect Istanbul's ""being on the shore"" experience, and develop creative ""micro-intervention"" concepts to strengthen the social fabric. The ultimate aim of the workshop is to strengthen the social infrastructure of sustainable cities by producing tangible design solutions that nurture a culture of ""co-living"" transforming the act of sharing an object into the art of sharing an experience.