The Effect of Spatial Interventions on Fuel Poverty in Urban Transformation Areas

Date

2025-9-1

Author

Can, Melike Büşra

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The growing energy demand, the parallel rise in energy prices, and the resulting socio-economic and environmental challenges necessitate the development of policy and design approaches that explicitly address and aim to alleviate fuel poverty. Fuel poverty is not only determined by household income levels but is also shaped by the energy efficiency of buildings and the socio-demographic characteristics of households. This issue has become a widespread concern in many societies, including those of developed countries. Still, it is more acutely experienced by vulnerable groups such as the elderly, families with children, migrants, and low-income households. Spatially, fuel poverty is most visible in gecekondu areas, where low-income groups, elderly residents, and families with children are concentrated, and where building quality remains low. These areas face a heightened risk of fuel poverty not only due to the socio-economic vulnerabilities of their populations but also because of inadequate infrastructure and poor construction conditions. By contrast, urban transformation projects aim to create more livable environments and improve the quality of life, making it essential to examine the extent to which such interventions contribute to reducing fuel poverty. This study investigates the impact of spatial strategies on fuel poverty within urban transformation areas. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with households and energy performance assessments based on spatial parameters, the research focuses on three transformation areas located in Mamak, Ankara. The findings reveal that spatial interventions exert a significant influence on both fuel poverty and energy efficiency. In particular, design factors such as building insulation, distance between buildings, building orientation, open space design, and building materials were found to affect heating performance to varying degrees.

Subject Keywords

Fuel Poverty, Energy Efficiency, Urban Transformation, Design Strategies, Mamak

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/116109

Collections

Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis