|
Tala Al Ansari, Executive Advisor at ATÖLYE, and Engin Ayaz, Co-founder and CEO of ATÖLYE, explore how community-driven design is shaping the future of cities, organizations, and innovation. We dive into ATÖLYE’s journey from a small creative hub in Istanbul to a global multidisciplinary consultancy working across Europe and the Middle East. At the core of their work is a powerful idea: building strong, diverse communities is not a side activity, it’s the strategy. Tala and Engin unpack what truly defines a community (and why it’s not the same as an audience), the importance of blending physical and digital spaces, and why meaningful community-building takes time, intention, and trust. They also share practical insights on diversity, curation, and how to avoid “community bubbles” by fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration. The episode closes with a simple but powerful principle: create more value than you capture.
Useful links by our guests: Community Playbook https://atolye.io/community-playbook/
Public resource on community strategy and design https://www.communitypowered.io/ A select set of case studies https://atolye.io/projects/
12 years of articles on design, innovation and communities https://atolye.io/insights/ ___ Keep Up the Good Work. Keep Loving Cities ❤️️ __ All opinions expressed in each episode are personal to the guest and do not represent the Host of Urbanistica Podcast unless otherwise stated. ____ Follow Urbanistica on Instagram , TikTok, Facebook & Youtube channel. _____ Let's connect and talk further about this episode Mustafa Sherif Linkedin. _____ Visit Mustafasherif.com for collaborations and nominations or email me at info@mustafasherif.com _____ Thanks to Urbanistica Podcast partner AFRY (Urban Planning and Design) AFRY is an international engineering and design company providing sustainable solutions in the fields of energy, industry, and infrastructure. |