11.4.7. Local authority collaboration regarding planning and development

Middle East Technical University (METU) maintains formal, high-impact joint planning partnerships with major local government authorities—including Çankaya Municipality (Ankara) and the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB)—to solve complex urban development, housing energy efficiency, climate resilience, and spatial planning challenges. Through institutional technical advisory teams, international climate commitments (Covenant of Mayors), and EU Horizon Europe initiatives, METU directly shapes sustainable local administration policy.

1. Collaborative R&D Initiative 1: Çankaya SECAP Plan (Sep 2024 – Apr 2025)

Under the international Covenant of Mayors framework, METU partnered directly with Çankaya Municipality (Ankara's central metropolitan district) to develop its Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP):

• METU Academic Technical Leadership: Faculty members Assoc. Prof. Dr. Meltem Şenol Balaban and Erva Dilara Toprak from the METU Department of City and Regional Planning served as core technical team members alongside the municipality's Climate Change and Zero Waste Directorate.
• Focus on Residential Housing & Spatial Vulnerability:
  • Emission Inventories: Detailed spatial mapping of greenhouse gas emissions generated by Residential Buildings (Konutlar), Commercial/Public Structures, and Transportation sectors.
  • Housing & Social Justice: Conducted spatial risk assessments for physical climate hazards (floods, droughts, extreme heat) to protect vulnerable demographic groups and ensure climate justice across residential neighborhoods.
  • 2025–2030 Action Framework: Formulated short-, medium-, and long-term mitigation and adaptation actions targeting energy-efficient building retrofits, nature-based solutions, and sustainable urban mobility.

https://www.cankaya.bel.tr/uploads/documents/secap_turkce_2025_1752135034_oiFXQosw.pdf

2. Collaborative R&D Initiative 2: EU Horizon Europe UP2030 (Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality)

METU collaborates with the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) through the European Union Horizon Europe project UP2030 (Urban Planning and Design Ready for 2030):

• Institutional Partners: METU Faculty of Architecture and the Center for Solar Energy Research and Applications (METU-GÜNAM).
• AI-Driven Building Performance: Co-developing climate-neutral urban planning tools, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) models that simulate building energy performance, retrofitting requirements, and thermal comfort under future climate scenarios to guide municipal spatial development decisions.

https://up2030-he.eu/consortium/