During our National Workshop in Bursa, one of the five thematic working groups focused on Spatial Development in peri-urban areas. The discussions revealed a strong awareness of the structural challenges affecting peri-urban regions in Türkiye, particularly uncontrolled expansion, fragmented land use, infrastructure pressure and the need for integrated climate-sensitive planning.
🔎 Key Reflections from the Spatial Development Table were:
• The need for integrated land-use planning that balances urban growth with agricultural and ecological protection
• Strengthening green infrastructure corridors within peri-urban transition zones
• Improving coordination between local authorities and planning institutions
• Embedding climate-neutral criteria into zoning and spatial planning regulations
• Using GIS-based analysis and data-driven decision-making in peri-urban planning
Rather than approaching spatial growth as a purely technical issue, participants emphasized the importance of climate resilience, ecosystem protection, and long-term sustainability frameworks.
🌱 How does this connect to PeriNEXT?
These outcomes directly contribute to PeriNEXT’s core objectives:
✔ Supporting VET professionals in developing advanced competencies in climate-oriented urban planning
✔ Generating data and SWOT-based insights to feed into the upcoming Climate Neutral Awareness Kit
✔ Laying the groundwork for scalable and replicable climate-neutral frameworks
✔ Strengthening institutional capacity for sustainable peri-urban governance
The Spatial Development table demonstrated that climate neutrality is not only about energy systems, it is fundamentally about how we plan space, regulate growth, and integrate environmental intelligence into territorial strategies.
By translating local planning realities into structured, strategic insights, the workshop strengthened the project’s interdisciplinary foundation and prepared strong input for the upcoming international ideathon phase.
We are proud to see how local expertise contributes to a broader European dialogue on sustainable peri-urban transformation. 💫
