A RIBA Plan of Work-Integrated Digital Participation Framework for Urban Regeneration in Low-Income Housing: The Case of Türkiye
Abstract
Urban regeneration studies in low-income housing areas in Türkiye have problems with limited participation, a lack of transparency, and social exclusion. The study aims to work on these issues by integrating the RIBA Plan of Work (PoW) framework with digital participation tools. The proposed model has each stage of the PoW with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), digital twins, VR/AR-based visualization, blockchain-based systems, and online feedback platforms. So, it establishes a governance backbone that accelerates information flow and justifies decisions across the chain of “digital tool - participation type - social/technical output.” The model was developed based on a systematic search conducted between 2015 and 2025 in the Scopus, Web of Science, DergiPark, and Google Scholar databases. The search used Boolean search strings combining the concepts of RIBA Plan of Work, digital participation, PPGIS, BIM, VR/AR, digital twin, and blockchain. Preliminary screening and full-text evaluation were performed in accordance with the PRISMA flow, and a total of 42 studies were examined to derive stage-tool-participation-output matches. These matches were brought together using the thematic synthesis method to form the structure of the model. Findings show that the model enhances the visibility of needs and priorities in early stages, strengthens coordination in planning, supports performance-based decision making in technical design, and supports satisfaction and feedback cycles during the occupancy phase. However, the digital gap, data security, and regulatory compliance are limitations to its implementation. Overall, the model links architectural process management with social negotiation and learning processes, offering a more inclusive, transparent, and sustainable regeneration approach in low-income housing areas. This study presents a new methodological framework that systematically links architectural process management (RIBA PoW) with digital participation mechanisms in a phase-based manner, proposing concrete tool-participation-output mappings for each phase; empirical validation is beyond the scope of this study and is planned for future work.
Keywords
Digital participation, RIBA Plan of Work, Urban regeneration, Social sustainability, Inclusivity
Supporting Institution
This research received no external funding.
Ethical Statement
Ethical review and approved by the YTU Social Sciences Institute Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Board (Ethics Report Verification Address: etik.yildiz.edu.tr/dogrula; Report Number: 20250605651; Verification Code: 8a079)
Thanks
This article is a part of a master’s dissertation research at Yildiz Technical University, Department of Architecture, Construction Management and Building Production.
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