Developing a Strategic Decision- Making Process for Local Energy Planning and Urban Land- Use Evaluations: the Case for Balc¸ova Geothermal Energy

Abstract

The concept of 'renewable energy' for countries such as Turkey which are classified as poor, in terms of reserving the mentioned fossil energies could be an opportunity for being independent. 'Geothermal Energy' among the renewable energy sources in our country is known as an important type of valid and potential energy sources. Design and land-use are closely linked to the energy efficiency levels for an urban area. The current urban planning practice does not involve an effective landuse-energy evaluation in its 'blueprint' urban plans.The case of Balçova, a district in the Izmir Metropolitan area, is used conformingly for evaluating the proposed master plan and the 'geothermal energy district heating system' use for the concern district.The examination of the existing development plan with an .energy sensitive.point of view, determination of the questioning criteria's, and the evaluation of alternative compromises that can be done on planning principles, form the originality of thesis. The construction is completed by the integration of these policy-planproject scaled approaches during this evaluation.According to the thesis main idea, the proposed energy sensitive land-use planning method can be an effective tool for planners as simulation media in GIS programs using, to evaluate efficiency levels for different plan proposals, letting to know how much energy saving causes how much deviation from the other planning ideals.In the extent of the thesis, an alternative energy sensitive (integrated) land-use planning approach is aimed in the example of 'geothermal energy district heating system' by using development tools of land-use planning, planning brief and plans on .the increase in energy efficiency in urban settlement. approach.