Join the next Change by Design workshop in Samandağ, Hatay, Türkiye, from 5–10 April 2027. Through a live, place-based project, explore the possibilities and challenges of community-led planning in post-disaster reconstruction. 

Three years after the February 2023 earthquakes, government-led reconstruction has profoundly reshaped the coastal town of Samandağ. Land expropriation and large-scale housing developments have transformed neighbourhoods and agricultural land, often leaving residents with little influence over decisions affecting their homes and surroundings. Residents’ priorities—from safe public spaces and places to gather to support for local livelihoods—have been marginalised in the reconstruction process. 

Building on participatory work with residents in 2026, the workshop will focus on the neighbourhood of Mağaracık, where new mass housing built on the community’s agricultural land is changing the landscape and social fabric. Approaching reconstruction through a living heritage lens, participants will work with residents, grassroots organisations, professionals and local authorities, to explore local priorities and develop proposals for a small public-space project or temporary intervention. We will examine how participatory approaches can shape decisions, while engaging critically with the power relations and practical constraints that determine what is possible. 

The workshop is jointly organised by Architecture Sans Frontières UK (ASF-UK), Hatay Deprem Dayanışması Derneği(Hatay Earthquake Solidarity Association) and Mekanda Adalet Derneği (Center for Spatial Justice), in collaboration with Architecture Sans Frontières Germany.

Why join?

  • Learn through practice: apply participatory methods to a neighbourhood undergoing rapid change.
  • Exchange knowledge: work with residents, grassroots organisations, local authorities and built-environment professionals.
  • Develop practical skills: explore action research, spatial analysis and collaborative design.
  • Engage critically: examine the possibilities and limits of community-led planning in post-disaster reconstruction.
  • Take learning forward: identify approaches that can inform more accountable and inclusive practice in other contexts.


Key Information

Workshop: 5–10 April 2027, Samandağ, Hatay, Türkiye

Applications: 9 November 2026 – 29 January 2027

Places: 25 participants

Workshop fee: £700 (a small number of bursaries is planned for participants based in Türkiye)

Optional accommodation: £300

Apply now!

For enquiries or application support, contact [email protected].