This is the blog of a workshop carried on in Fener and Balat, two historically and architecturally distinct neighbourhoods in Istanbul, between 29 January and 4 February 2011. The workshop is a collaboration between Oxford Brookes University, Istanbul Technical University and Fener Balat Ayvansaray Association (FEBAYDER). The aim here is to understand the problems of this area and support the NGO in their struggle against the pressures of the regeneration plans, which disregard the benefits of the local public.