Avrupa Birliği'nde Seçilmiş Kentlerden Yeşil Ekonomi Uygulamaları: Amsterdam, Freiburg, Kopenhag ve Ljubljana Örnekleri

Abstract

Bu çalışma, Avrupa Birliği’ne üye dört öncü kent olan Amsterdam, Kopenhag, Freiburg ve Ljubljana’daki yeşil ekonomi uygulamalarını karşılaştırmalı olarak analiz etmektedir. Kentlerin yeşil dönüşüm stratejileri; çok düzeyli yönetişim yapıları, politika araçları, yurttaş katılımı, döngüsel ekonomi uygulamaları ve sürdürülebilir altyapı yatırımları çerçevesinde incelenmiştir. Şehirler; (i) AB üyeliği, (ii) uzun vadeli yeşil ekonomi stratejilerine gösterilen bağlılık, (iii) uluslararası tanınırlık (örneğin, Avrupa Yeşil Başkenti) ve (iv) akademik ve kurumsal verilerin kullanılabilirliği ölçütlerine göre amaçlı örnekleme yöntemiyle seçilmiştir. Veri analizi, kategori tabanlı kodlama çerçevesi kullanılarak nitel içerik analizi yoluyla gerçekleştirilmiştir. Kodlama ve tematik yapılandırma için NVivo 14 yazılımı kullanılmıştır. Temel analitik kategoriler arasında; politika alanları (enerji, mobilite, atık, yeşil altyapı), yönetişim modelleri (katılımcı, kamu-özel), politika araçları (teşvikler, düzenleyici araçlar) ve performans ölçütleri (emisyon azaltımları, atık yönlendirme oranları) yer almaktadır. Niteliksel karşılaştırmalı durum çalışması yöntemiyle gerçekleştirilen analizde; belediye strateji belgeleri, Avrupa Birliği politika metinleri, akademik literatür ve uluslararası kuruluş raporlarından elde edilen ikincil veriler kullanılmıştır. Bulgular; her bir kentin kendine özgü kaynakları, kurumsal kapasiteleri ve toplumsal dinamiklerine göre farklı politika bileşimleri oluşturduğunu göstermektedir. Örneğin, Amsterdam döngüsel ekonomi ve akıllı mobilite üzerine odaklanırken; Kopenhag karbon nötr hedefleri doğrultusunda entegre altyapı sistemlerine öncelik vermektedir. Freiburg, yurttaş katılımını merkeze alan bir yönetişim modeli geliştirirken; Ljubljana, atık yönetimi ve yeşil alan planlamasında dikkat çekici başarılar elde etmiştir. Araştırmada, SWOT analizleri gerçekleştirilerek yeşil ekonomi politikaları bağlamında her şehrin güçlü ve zayıf yönleri ortaya konulmuştur. Çalışma; kent düzeyinde geliştirilen yeşil ekonomi politikalarının Avrupa Yeşil Mutabakatı ve Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma Amaçları ile uyumlu şekilde ilerleyebilmesi için çok katmanlı ve katılımcı bir yönetişim çerçevesi, zaman ve etki temelli politika araçları ve veri odaklı izleme sistemlerinin gerekliliğini vurgulamaktadır. Elde edilen bulgular, Avrupa’daki sürdürülebilir kent politikaları literatürüne kavramsal ve pratik katkılar sunmaktadır.

Keywords

• Kentsel Ekonomi
• Döngüsel Ekonomi
• Yeşil Politikalar
• Vatandaş Katılımı
• Nitel İçerik Analizi

Green Economy Practices in Selected Cities of the European Union: The Cases of Amsterdam, Freiburg, Copenhagen and Ljubljana

Abstract

This study comparatively analyzes green economy practices in four leading EU member states: Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Freiburg, and Ljubljana. Urban green transition strategies through multi-level governance, policy instruments, citizen participation, circular economy practices, and sustainable infrastructure development. A qualitative multiple case study design was adopted for the analysis based on secondary data from municipal strategy documents, EU policy frameworks, academic literature, and reports by international organizations. The cities were selected using purposive sampling based on the following criteria: (i) EU membership; (ii) long-term green economy strategies; (iii) international recognition such as European Green Capital; and (iv) academic and institutional data availability. Data analysis was carried out by means of qualitative content analysis using a category-based coding framework. NVivo 14 was used for coding and thematic structuring. Key analytical categories included policy domains (e.g., energy, mobility, waste, green infrastructure), governance models (e.g., participatory, public-private), policy instruments (e.g., incentives regulatory tools), and performance metrics (e.g., emissions reductions waste diversion rates). Results indicated that the city has developed a distinct mix of green policies determined by its institutional capacity local resources and social context. For example: Amsterdam emphasizes circular economy and smart mobility; Copenhagen integrated infrastructure in line with carbon neutrality targets; Freiburg governance model centered on civic engagement; Ljubljana success in waste management plus planning for green spaces. SWOT analyses revealed the strengths and weaknesses of each city in terms of their green economy policies. The study underlines the importance of multi-layered and participatory governance frameworks, temporally and contextually sensitive policy instruments, as well as data-driven monitoring systems to align local green economy initiatives with broader EU strategies such as the European Green Deal or Sustainable Development Goals. Results provide both conceptual and practical contributions toward an ever-growing literature about sustainable urban policy plus governance within a European context.

Keywords

• Urban Economy
• Circular Economy
• Green Policies
• Citizen Participation
• Qualitative Content Analysis

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