Education

• Ph.D. 2004 North Carolina State University, Community and Environmental Design
• M.C.P. 2000 Middle East Technical University, Urban Design
• B.C.P. 1998 Middle East Technical University, City and Regional Planning

Courses Taught

• URBS 150 – Urban Scene
• URBS 440 – Community Based Urban Design
• URBS 450 – Urban Problems Seminar
• URBS 441 – Advanced Urban Design
• URBS 405 – Advanced Research Methods

Selected Publications and Presentations

BOOK:

Sanoff, H., Toker, Z. (2003) Three Decades of Design and Community. Raleigh, NC: North Carolina State University Office of the Vice Chancellor and the College of Design.

JOURNAL ARTICLES:

Toker Z. (in press) “Recent Trends in Community Design: The Eminence of Participation” in Design Studies.

Toker, Z., Toker, U. (2006) “Community Design in its Pragmatist Age: Increasing Popularity and Changing Outcomes” in METU-JFA, 23:2.

Toker, U., Toker Z. (2006) “Revisiting Hampstead Garden Suburb: A (Cautionary) Tale of Spatial Determinism” in Focus, Vol. 3.

Toker, Z. (2001) “Influences of Cultural Differences on the Formation of ‘Home’ Constructs,” in International Association for People-Environment Studies (IAPS) Autumn 2001 Issue of the Bulletin of People-Environment Studies: Special Issue on Housing.

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS:

Sanoff, H., Toker, U., Toker, Z. (2005) “Research Based Design of a Child and Family Education Center” in Proceedings of the 36th International Conference of the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA 36).

Toker, Z. (2003) “Gender Division of Household Space through Housework” in Proceedings of the Gender Bound?: Representations of Difference in Environmental Design Symposium. Tempe, AZ.

Toker, U., Toker, Z. (2003) “Family Structure and Spatial Configuration in Turkish House Form in Anatolia from Early Nineteenth Century to Late Twentieth Century,” in Proceedings of the Fourth International Space Syntax Symposium. London, UK.

Toker, U.; Toker, Z., Rifki, F. A. (2002) “Research Based Decision Making in Architectural Programming of Workplaces: Case of Pamlico County Government Offices, North Carolina,” in Proceedings of the ARCC/EAAE 2002 International Conference on Architectural Research, Montreal. Quebec, Canada.

Toker, Z., Toker, U., Rifki, F. A., (2001) “Promoting Sustainable Development Through Participatory Design in a Small Town: Mebane, North Carolina” in Proceedings of the Association Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) 2001 43rd Annual Conference, Cleveland, OH.

Toker, Z., Toker, U., Rifki, F. A. (2001) “Making a Small Town Livable: Promoting Sustainability Through a New Urbanist Approach in Mebane, North Carolina” in Proceedings of the Architectural Research Centers Consortium (ARCC) Spring 2001 Research Conference at Virginia Tech., Blacksburg, VA.

PRESENTATIONS:

Kocher, S., Toker Z., (2006) “Siting a Coastal Trail: A Phenomenological Approach.” Poster presented at the 37th Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) Conference, Atlanta, GA.

Toker, Z., Lasai, C. (2003) “Characteristics of Current Cohousing Developments around the World” Poster presented at the 34th Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) Conference. Minneapolis, MN.

Toker, Z. (2001) “Current Practices of Community Design Centers: A New Phase or a New Definition” Paper presented at the 32nd Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) Conference. Edinburgh, Scotland.

Research and Interests

As a proponent of community design, I have been working with communities in different cultural settings helping them shape their built environments. My experience of working with communities includes projects such as Designing Dynamic Environments for the Performing Arts in Cambridge, UK; Sandhills Community Center in Spring Lake, NC; Laguna Child and Family Education Center in Laguna, NM; Programming of County Office Buildings in Pamlico County, NC; and Urban Revitalization of Downtown Mebane, NC. I have also designed and participated in research projects utilizing different methodologies with quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. My research agenda aims to understand spatial representations of cultural, social and gender identities in everyday lives of individuals and communities, both placeless and place-bound. My research interests focus on the ways to accommodate user needs and preferences generally in built environment, especially in housing.