Bottom-up Participatory Urban Design Using the Charette Method for Designing the Central Subway Station in Sa’at Square, Tabriz

Abstract

Sa’at Square is one of the historic squares of Tabriz City. Recent interventions by the Municipality include demolition and reconstruction of numerous houses around this square to build a central subway station. Although a consulting firm had prepared several alternatives for land use and access routes in this square, it was decided to finalize the design by adopting a participatory approach. There are a number of methods for stimulating participation in the design process, in particular: awareness-raising expositions; taking into account the views expressed in a survey; group interaction; open-ended discussions; and brainstorming. As a group interaction method, charette is a holistic collaborative planning process that harnesses talents and energies of all interested parties to create and support a feasible plan. Furthermore, it advances community planning and public involvement. Charette comprises of three phases: (i) preparation phase including research an education; (ii) the charette workshop spreading over some days to include at least three feedback loops; and (iv) the implementation phase. This paper reports the results of employing the charette method to decide the final design for Sa’at Square.