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Hub Istanbul: Social Innovation through Placemaking, Cow...

Hub Istanbul: Social Innovation through Placemaking, Coworking

If you had an empty warehouse and a pen and paper, what infinite uses would you create? Art space; meeting or event space; a library; a cafeteria or cafe; an acoustic or sound room; a gaming room; a gallery; yoga or meditation space; or a multi-purpose work space? The only limitation is your imagination. Your

Hub ViennaIf you had an empty warehouse and a pen and paper, what infinite uses would you create?

Art space; meeting or event space; a library; a cafeteria or cafe; an acoustic or sound room; a gaming room; a gallery; yoga or meditation space; or a multi-purpose work space? The only limitation is your imagination.

Your ideas are the recipe for inspiration, empowerment, and meaningful connections that materialize into sustainable impact, all facilitated by physical and digital social spaces that create Hub Istanbul.

The minute I heard of Hub Istanbul, I was immediately taken back to 2008, my first design course during my MSc. URP program. The Lynch Diagram I drew had a series of nodes, or centers of attraction, s
imilar to what is developing in Istanbul, Turkey. Hub Istanbul, a distinct hub of activity for local and foreign entrepreneurs, freelancers, university students, artists, designers, and other creatives, is creating an innovative co-working experience and they want to know what nodes you want?

Hub Vienna

Currently, James Halliday, Co-Founder of Hub Istanbul, is developing the concept from Han38.com, the space the founders
currently occupy in Karakoy, Istanbul; Hub Istanbul’s little cousin, you could say. James is hoping that the concept of Han38 will spread, pull you into action, and welcome you into a selective design, entrepreneur, and freelancer community in Istanbul. The Hub network is not distinct to Istanbul. In fact, there are currently 31 Hubs around the world. Over 4,000 members on 5 continents, come to the Hub to take collaborative action for a better world. Currently, Hub Istanbul is a candidate to join the international Hub network, of which their sister-city, Vienna, is already a member.

While Karakoy is the current location for laying the groundwork, the founders of Hub Istanbul need to know which permanent location is preferred as well. They are currently investigating the demand to decide where, among these locations, Hub Istanbul will call its permanent home: Sishane, Karakoy, Maslak, Kadikoy, Haskoy, or Sutlace.

In terms of placemaking, this is the architectsand urban plannersideal problem. What will bring the type of users Hub Istanbul is seeking? And what location is preferred? To answer these questions and create this unique place, a series of roundtables have been occurring around the creation of Hub Istanbul. You can stay informed and become involved in future roundtables by joining Hub Istanbul’s Facebook or Twitter pages. You can also find Hub Istanbul online at Let’s Build Hub Istanbul, the Hub’s pre-launch website. Feel free to comment below about the space uses and locations that work best for you.

And if you are interested in setting up a tour or using the Han38 space, please contact James Halliday to arrange an appointment.

Credits: Images and data linked to sources.
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Renée Sazci is the Founder & CEO of The Global Grid. In June 2014 Renée moved from Istanbul, Turkey, where she'd lived for four years, to return to the beautiful city of San Francisco.

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