Investigating the spatial distribution of energy poverty. An application to the city of Bologna

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6093/1970-9870/10344

Keywords:

Energy poverty, Vulnerability index, Urban planning, Spatial distribution, Urban regeneration

Abstract

Nowadays energy accessibility and affordability are global concerns. Energy poverty and its effects on households have been increasingly discussed in the public debate, as well as addressed by energy and social policies. Nevertheless, measures to tackle energy poverty at urban scale remain fragmented, and they are far to be fully embedded into urban planning tools.

This paper explores a new methodological approach to investigate vulnerability related to energy poverty. It is based on the identification of three main thematic areas of vulnerability (i.e., socioeconomic, energy, climate). For each of these components, a synthetic vulnerability sub-index has been developed, which has allowed the identification of an overall energy poverty vulnerability index, able to detect different levels of energy poverty vulnerability at urban scale.

This approach, combined with a thorough urban analysis, has been applied to the city of Bologna and it has allowed the identification of urban regeneration strategies for each investigated urban area, targeted to the energy poverty-related vulnerabilities detected.

The results are intended to provide evidence on how to improve the urban planning tools, to support policy makers to better address energy poverty in cities.

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Author Biographies

Sofia Manaresi, Department of Architecture, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

Graduated in Building Engineering and Architecture from Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna. Her Master thesis was the basis for this work, which focused on the issue of energy poverty and a new methodological approach to study it's related vulnerability, applied to the city of Bologna. After graduation she collaborated with Fondazione ITL, Emilia-Romagna Region, University of Bologna and University of Parma for updating the status of implementation of settlement provisions, as well as for validating the information for developing a data analysis tool related to freight transport in support of Emilia-Romagna planning decisions.

Angela Santangelo, Department of Architecture, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

She is a building engineer graduated at the Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, under the One Cycle Degree Programme Building Engineering-Architecture, with a master thesis in urban planning. She holds a PhD in Architecture from the Department of Architecture, Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, where she has been investigating the energy retrofit of the public housing stock towards urban regeneration. Since 2020 she is assistant professor at the Department of Architecture, Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna. She has been involved in several EU funded projects both as part of the coordination group (e.g., Horizon Europe RURACTIVE, H2020 RURITAGE, H2020 EnlightenMe, Interreg Europe Match-up, Interreg Adrion ADRISEISMIC), and as project partner and work package leader (among others: H2020 Shelter, Horizon Europe RescueME). Her research interests are in the field of energy poverty, energy transition and the integration of provisions within urban planning tools; housing policies and public housing; resilience and disaster risk reduction through urban planning; rural regeneration through cultural heritage valorization.

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Published

21-06-2024

How to Cite

Manaresi, S., & Santangelo, A. (2024). Investigating the spatial distribution of energy poverty. An application to the city of Bologna. TeMA - Journal of Land Use, Mobility and Environment, (2), 81–96. https://doi.org/10.6093/1970-9870/10344

Issue

2024: Urban Inequalities

Section

SI 2024. Urban inequalities

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