Political ecology of Bursa city

Political ecology, which argues that political decisions are underlying the socio-economic and environmental problems that arise from the mutual interaction between humans and the natural environment, examines the urban settlements that reflect the greatest influence of humans on the natural environment, together with their immediate surroundings. The city of Bursa, whose population exceeds 2 million as of 2021, is a suitable settlement for political and ecological research with its urban functions. In this context, the aim of the thesis is to examine the effects of environmental problems on spatial justice, which occur as a result of urban management policies in Osmangazi, Yıldırım and Nilüfer districts that make up the city of Bursa, from a geographical perspective. In order to evaluate the political ecology of the city of Bursa from different perspectives, a survey with the people living in the city (water quality, green space and park, Bursaray, urban transformation), location-based spatial measurements (water quality, air quality and noise) and interview technique with the relevant units of local governments appropriate studies have been carried out. The data obtained as a result of the survey studies and spatial measurements were made meaningful in the ArcGIS 10.8 program and district-based maps were produced. As a result of the wrong political decisions taken from the past to the present in the city of Bursa, the people, who once used the mains water fed by the spring waters of Uludağ, now turned to carboy water and water treatment devices. In the city of Bursa, which puts the green title in front of its name, there are fewer green areas and parks per capita, while a large part of the population cannot easily access active green areas and parks today. With the increase in private vehicle ownership, the problems experienced in transportation were tried to be solved with the Bursaray light rail system, but the movement of this type of transportation over the ground has caused the city to experience more traffic problems at certain hours during the day. Frequent traffic problems have caused noise pollution in the city due to transportation. In addition to problems such as zoning rent, displacement, land gentrification and urban segregation, which came to the fore with wrong urban transformation practices, the failure to pay attention to the potential asbestos risk in the demolition of buildings with an old construction date threatens human and environmental health in the city. Industrialization, traffic problems and the use of stoves as a source of domestic heating have increased air pollution in the city, especially in winter. Occupying the Bursa Plain with settlement, industry and road projects as a result of wrong political decisions also caused wrong land use while eliminating agricultural lands.