HSA (Human Settlements Association – Udruga za ljudska naselja) je organizacija koju su osnovali arhitekti domaćini konferencije Habitat UN-a, održane u Istanbulu, u Turskoj 1996. godine. Temeljno polje rada organizacije su istraživanje modela za unapređenje ljudskih naselja i razvijanje modela djelovanja u urbanim sredinama kroz participaciju civilnog društva. Arhitekti koji djeluju unutar HSA razumiju nužnost uvođenja u urbani okoliš rješenja koji su produkt interdisciplinarnog rada i razmjene informacija važnih za takvu vrstu neprofitnog djelovanja. Organizacija HSA je između ostalog zaslužna za prve turske primjere uvođenja lokalnog stanovništva u proces urbanističkog planiranja i razvijanje sistema mobilne arhitekture za žrtve potresa.

Projekt na kojem je organizacija angažirana posljednjih godinu dana i koji će predstaviti u Puli bavi se dijelom Istanbula zvanom Sulukule gdje gradske vlasti namjeravaju porušiti najstarije romsko naselje u gradu u svrhu izgradnje elitnih stanova. Naselje je nastalo je još u doba Otomanskog carstva, iz kojeg su očuvana neka zdanja do danas, a cijelo se područje odlikuje živom ekonomskom i kulturološkom strukturom. Iako danas oslabljena, ona se može obnoviti ukoliko se pri planiranju uzmu u obzir sve posebnosti tog područja. Osim toga naselje Sulukule nalazi se unutar područja koje je na listi svjetske baštine UNESCO-a. Prema UNESCO-ovim pravilima očuvanje zaštićenog područja mora osim fizičkog predstavljati i društveno te kulturno očuvanje.

HSA se oštro usprotivila takvom planu i organizirala zajedno sa stanovnicima naselja 40-dnevni festival gdje su, uz glazbu i predstave, izveli radnu akciju renovacije naselja.

Primjerom aktivnosti vezanih za naselje Sulukule članovi HSA najjasnije pokazuju svoju ulogu arhitekata koji surađuju sa stanovnicima za opću dobrobit zajednice.

Njihov trenutni rad na problemu usredotočio se na izradu alternativnog urbanističkog plana za konfliktno područje zajedno s lokalnim stanovništvom.

Predavanje (na engleskom jeziku) pod nazivom "An experience of local movement for urban transformation in Sulukule neighbourhood" održat će se u srijedu 14. studenoga 2007. u galeriji MMC-a Luka, Istarska 30, Pula s početkom u 19 sati.

“40 Days 40 Nights Sulukule” is the sum of the activities that aim to preclude the social-cultural losses that are expected to take place and to draw attention and support to the region to enable a creative and participatory urban regeneration. In fact, more than a sum of activities, it is a participatory platform. Different disciplines, individuals and institutions that touches upon the issue from different perspectives come together. In this direction, in the short term, we aim to draw attention to, to increase support for and to create a common sharing field within the territory. Also in the long term, we aim to obtain a participatory, creative and sustainable urban regeneration involving the local residents, government officials and all of the parties related to the issue.

Sulukule is one of the first Roman Settlements and has owned an important location in Ottoman Empire. There are still houses which own Ottoman deeds. The founding of Sulukule Sustenance and Preservation Tourism Association in 1969 shows the liveliness of the territory and its importance for Istanbul. The territory was not only a housing area but also a settlement where music was produced and practiced, which had a lively economic and cultural structure with its unique entertainment culture and which drew many tourists. In 1990’s, with the closing of the entertainment houses, which used to be an important part of the economic and cultural resources of the territory, Sulukule entered a phase of economic and social decline. Despite all it has gone through, Sulukule still owns the potential of regeneration and still is a colorful Istanbul Settlement whose unique culture endures.

The existing renewal approach, does not provide an understanding for and reaffirm the sustainability of the residents’ culture and the region’s economic structure. With short terms approaches the existing potential of the region is not taken into consideration. Sulukule, is one of the settlements in historical island that is in the UNESCO World Heritage List. According to UNESCO norms, the territory should be preserved and kept alive not only physically, but also socially and culturally. The new vision, that embodies the social and cultural accumulations and the potential of the territory, could provide crucial achievements in the scale of local residents, Istanbul and the World.

At this point, 40 Days 40 Nights Sulukule Activities aim to transcend the traditional facility approach. It aims to preclude the elimination of the relationship between the space and the culture of the territory and the community. Also the activities try to create a platform which opens the issue to a creative and contemporary thinking ground. The platform aims to prevent the existing socio-cultural structure and the rich history from disintegrating and to become itself an example for a participatory, creative and strong social movement. In this direction, 40 Days 40 Nights, acts through the possibilities asking what can be done, what kind of positive projects, activities can be developed in different fields related to the issue and how can they be sustained. As the judicial process studies continue, 40 Days 40 Nights Sulukule try to highlight the social side of the issue.

The platform progresses with the support and participation of many NGOs, volunteers, architects, urban planners, academicians, sociologists, artists, musicians, historians, documentarians etc. Activities are open to many related fields, such as, music, dance, performance, history, film, art, architecture, urban, sociology to discover the potential of the territory. Activities are distributed to a wide range of places and a long period of time. From film festivals, to music concerts, from art workshop to meetings, from panels to exhibitions, these activities will take place in Sulukule and in parallel spaces, like Beyoğlu and universities.

To catch up with what’s going on in Sulukule in detail may visit our websites