IAED student Şevval Göre and Asst. Prof. Dr. Gökçe Uzgören presented a paper at the "Youth and Climate Action Student Symposium"

Within the scope of the “Youth and Climate Action Student Symposium” held on October 1, 2026, the paper titled “The Role and Potentials of Urban Interiors in Climate Adaptation and Urban Sustainability,” featuring Interior Architecture and Environmental Design (IAED) student Şevval Göre as the first author and Asst. Prof. Dr. Gökçe Uzgören as the advisor and co-author, was presented. The study analyzed the microclimatic performance and the potential to mitigate the urban heat island effect of these hybrid spaces that offer climatic comfort in dense urban textures.

The Buffer Role of Urban Interiors

The paper emphasized that climate change and rapidly rising global temperatures compel cities to produce more sheltered public spaces. While traditional planning literature addresses climate adaptation mostly in two sharp poles as "open green spaces" and "building envelopes," it was pointed out that public open urban interiors such as stations, passages, covered courtyards, and transit centers create a critical buffer zone between climate and social life in urban morphology.

Three Main Axes in Climate Resilience

Within the scope of the study, the strategic importance of urban public interiors was examined across three axes. Firstly, it was stated that these areas increase energy efficiency by creating an ecological buffer through natural ventilation and shading. In the second axis, it was expressed that these spaces, offering shelter to urbanites against extreme weather events, create safe and inclusive focal points in the context of the "right to the city." Finally, the capacity of these flexible structures to adapt to crises and instantly transform the outdoor space into a sheltered "urban room" was evaluated.

The presentation concluded by emphasizing that climate adaptation cannot be reduced solely to technological solutions, and that transforming urban voids into climate-resilient spaces supporting social interaction stands out as a strategic approach strengthening urban sustainability goals.