So often, we see placemaking interventions like public artworks, new squares or mixed-use developments seek to bring nature into our towns and cities. But what happens when we try to do the opposite? A masterplan for a park in Istanbul, Turkey, shows how placemaking can be employed to bring people out into nature.

Designed by New York-based studio Dror, Parkorman will be the biggest central park in Istanbul when (or if) it opens. The design is aimed at encouraging visitors to engage with nature via moments of playfulness, reflectiveness and observation.

There will be five different zones, each with their own personality. Visitors will enter the park through the Plaza, which will look much like any other park. As visitors move deeper into the forest, though, via non-linear, interlinked pathways that allow them to choose their own routes, they will come across more unusual and surprising features.

The Loop will boast opportunities for interaction and play, with swings and hammocks hung above the forest floor, while the Pool will feature giant ball pits, inspired by Turkish spice markets, into which people can dive. A web of elevated pathways with trampolines at their centre will be woven through woodland trees in the Chords and, finally, the Grove will boast a trail of artworks related to the landscape.

All public parks are, of course, exercises in placemaking – destinations created for people to visit and spend time. Where Dror’s design for Parkorman differs from others is in the approach it takes in not only trying to attract visitors, but encouraging them to engage with nature. Not only will the approach make for a unique park, but for one with a strong proposition that can be effectively communicated.

The Parkorman project began in 2013 and has been approved by the local authorities. Dror tells Active Profile that it remains unclear whether the developer will bring the project to fruition, though.

Source & images: Dror

As an expert in placemaking communications, Active Profile seeks out inspiring projects from around the world for insight and commentary. There's more detailed info about placemaking in our ebook Effective Placemaking Communications For Your Mixed-Use Development, Volume 1: Explore, which you can download for free.