eprintid: 4288
rev_number: 6
eprint_status: archive
userid: 1
dir: disk0/00/00/42/88
datestamp: 2023-07-25 13:48:04
lastmod: 2023-07-25 13:48:04
status_changed: 2023-07-25 13:48:04
type: thesis
metadata_visibility: show
sword_depositor: 1
creators_name: Burgler, Jesse
creators_id: S3426912
creators_email: jesseburgler@gmail.com
title: The Socioeconomic Heat Transition
ispublished: unpub
full_text_status: public
abstract: In order to battle climate change, the Dutch climate act contains the compliance to make the transition from a residential heat system based on natural gas towards a system based on sustainable sources of heat. To do this, the Dutch government designed a participatory approach on the level of neighbourhoods (Dutch: Programma Aardgasvrije Wijken). In this programme, municipalities are given the authority to design and steer the participation processes.

As literature stresses the importance to understand the neighbourhood factors underlying successful and unsuccessful participation, this research aims to study the role of the socioeconomic context of neighbourhoods in explaining the participation of citizens in the heat transition process. To do this, a comparative case study is conducted on four neighbourhoods with varying socioeconomic contexts. These are Ramplaankwartier (Haarlem), van der Pekbuurt (Amsterdam), Bospolder-Tussendijken (Rotterdam), and Overvecht Noord (Utrecht). Data on these cases is collected by means of semistructured interviews with key actors involved in the participation processes. Through a literature study on socioeconomic context factors and participation, a framework is developed to analyse the data. This includes several socioeconomic context factors that can have a role in explaining the participation of citizens divided into four branches: their willingness to participate, ability to participate, opportunity to participate, and actual participation. 

The results show that the role of the socioeconomic context in explaining the participation of citizens in the heat transition can be kept limited when a well-designed and inclusive participation process is implemented. However, in neighbourhoods with a better socioeconomic context, citizens activate themselves more quickly to participate due to motivations like environmental awareness. Finally, the results show that the socioeconomic context of a neighbourhood can function as a catalysator for participation in the heat transition independent of the authorities, facilitating a bottom-up and citizenled process.
date: 2023
pages: 60
thesis_type: master
degree_programme: EG
tutors_name: Edzes, A.J.E.
tutors_organization: Fac. Ruimtelijke wetenschappen, Basiseenheid Economische Geografie
tutors_email: A.J.E.Edzes@rug.nl
security: public
keywords_local: heat transition
keywords_local: participation
keywords_local: heat networks
keywords_local: socioeconomic context
keywords_local: energy governance
language_iso: en
date_issued: 2023-07-21
citation:   Burgler, Jesse  (2023) The Socioeconomic Heat Transition.  Master thesis.   
document_url: https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/4288/1/Master%20thesis%20Jesse%20Burgler%20-%20Final%20version.pdf