VIRTUAL ISTANBUL HERITAGE(S)

Abstract

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In an era of accelerated technological change and demographic aging, questions of cultural heritage and identity demand new modes of preservation and participation. This collaborative research between the authors explores how digital and graphic design can serve as tools for reconnecting aging communities to their cultural pasts while envisioning inclusive urban futures. Situated within the field of digital heritage, the project investigates how interactive and culturally situated visual systems—including augmented way finding environments, participatory storytelling interfaces, and memory-linked digital archives—can translate local traditions and lived experiences into accessible multi-sensory forms. By linking design theory with cognitive psychology and gerontology, we frame these digital interventions as “memory-scapes”: hybrid spaces that merge tangible and intangible heritage through image, sound, and spatial interaction. In dialogue with Istanbul’s layered histories of coexistence and transformation, our research considers how design can mediate between personal memory and urban narrative, particularly for older adults facing cognitive decline or social isolation. Through participatory case studies, we examine how inclusive digital media can sustain cultural continuity, strengthen intergenerational relationships, and contribute to more empathetic urban futures. Ultimately, the project positions design as both a technology and a philosophy of care, reimagining heritage as an evolving interface between memory, identity, and place.