Back to Nature: Multifunctional Rooftops for Biodiversity in Metropolitan Cities

The Center for Middle Eastern Studies presents

Hasibe Akın, PhD(c)
ASLA, Fulbright Visiting Researcher

Urban rooftops—spaces that belong to everyone and no one—hold untapped potential to become critical components in addressing urban challenges such as climate adaptation, food security, energy transition, and socio-ecological inclusion.

In this lecture, Hasibe Akın will share her ongoing dissertation work as a Fulbright Visiting Researcher at Harvard University, where she is developing a Multifunctional Rooftop Model for Urban Biodiversity. Her work bridges architecture, landscape architecture, and urban ecology to explore how rooftops in metropolitan cities can be reimagined as productive habitats for birds, bees, and insects.

Drawing on fieldwork and collaborations with ecologists across North America, Akın investigates how biodiverse rooftop systems can support climate resilience—especially in cities like Istanbul, where rapid urban transformation and disaster preparedness demand new approaches to green infrastructure. The lecture will also examine the lack of disciplinary engagement in rooftop biodiversity research, proposing a more active role for designers and planners in shaping future urban ecosystems.

This lecture will include insights from her international presentations at the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA, 2024), the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA, 2025), and the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA, 2025), and reflect on how rooftop ecologies might contribute to more equitable, climate-sensitive urban futures—starting from the sky down.

Hasibe Akın, B.Arch, MSc (Arch. Design), PhD(c) in Lands. Arch. ASLA. Hasibe Akın is a Fulbright Visiting Researcher at Harvard University, where she is developing her doctoral dissertation titled "Multifunctional Rooftop Model for Urban Biodiversity in Metropolitan Cities" under the supervision of Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) Landscape Architecture Assoc. Prof. Gareth Doherty. With a Bachelor's degree in Architecture and a Master's in Architectural Design at Istanbul Technical University (ITU), she is a PhD candidate in Landscape Architecture at ITU, advised by Prof. Dr. Yasin Çağatay Seçkin. As an adjunct faculty member, she shares her vision for productive cities through undergraduate and graduate studios and seminars in the Departments of Architecture and Gastronomy & Culinary Arts.

Before coming to Harvard University in September 2024, she was recognized by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) as a Game Changer and selected as a WxLA Scholar, a distinction supported by the Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) to promote women’s leadership in the field.

She is the founding principal of "Çatı Çiftliği", an impact-driven design studio that transforms underutilized urban spaces into productive and ecologically vibrant places. Her work integrates nature-based solutions into architectural, landscape, and urban design projects, eco-awareness programs, and community-driven initiatives. Hasibe is passionate about connecting communities with the landscape and explores ways to integrate education and hands-on learning into her work. Guided by a collaborative spirit and a commitment to design excellence, her practice spans from complex, large-scale planning to detailed site design—creating socially inclusive, ecologically rich public spaces through strong community engagement and visionary thinking.

Image: Turkiye’s first rooftop farm — conceived and led by Hasibe Akın, from design to implementation through community engagement — was established in 2013 on the rooftop of Akmerkez Shopping Mall, Istanbul. The project was guided by permaculture design and agroecological principles.

Contact: Liz Flanagan