Expertise in Social Psychology and Inclusive Public Space Design

Sabancı University seeks a consortium to join for the Horizon Europe call HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-PARTICIPATION-02: Innovative approaches for the spatial design of neighbourhoods.

The team is led by Gül Günaydın and Emre Selçuk, Professors of Social Psychology at Sabancı University. Their research focuses on social interaction, relationships, culture, and well-being, examining how everyday social experiences and socioecological contexts shape people’s sense of belonging, perceptions of safety, and patterns of social interaction. These insights are highly relevant to understanding inclusive and socially responsive use of public spaces.

Building on cross-cultural research and field-based methods, the team contributes behavioural and psychological expertise to inform how spatial design can support social interaction, inclusion, and community well-being.

We can contribute:

·                behavioural observation and survey methods to analyse how residents experience and use neighbourhood public spaces

·                research on belonging, social cohesion, and inclusive participation across gender, age, and identity groups

·                assessment of social and psychological impacts of spatial design interventions in pilot neighbourhoods

·                analysis of residents’ perceptions of public spaces, including well-being, safety, and multisensory experience

·                development of evidence-based recommendations for inclusive, interaction-supportive, and replicable neighbourhood design.

The team is interested in contributing to projects that co-create and demonstrate innovative, inclusive, and resilient neighbourhood public spaces across Europe.