Work

Community-led pathways to climate-resilient housing: seasonal agricultural workers’ settlements in Bursa, Türkiye

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This article examines how climate stress intensifies the housing and settlement deficits of seasonal agricultural workers (SAWs) in Bursa, Türkiye, and the implications for housing justice within this agri-food city-region. It advances a twofold agenda: first, to diagnose multi-scalar vulnerabilities linking unit-level shelter deficiencies with settlement-scale siting and infrastructure deficits under heat and flood risks; and, second, to propose a community-informed upgrading framework supported by responsive governance. Drawing on mixed-methods fieldwork conducted in the Yenişehir and Mustafakemalpaşa districts in 2023, the study integrates in-depth interviews, gender-segregated focus groups and institutional consultations. Findings indicate that poorly ventilated, flood-prone shelters, inadequate sanitation and precarious labour arrangements compound climate risks, disproportionately affecting women and children. In response, the article outlines a phased intervention model combining spatial design measures with rights-based governance approaches. By situating peri-urban SAW settlements within wider city-region governance dynamics, the study offers a transferable framework for climate-resilient housing interventions.

Source: Environment and Urbanization

DOI: 10.1177/09562478261423806

Authors: Irem Tunçbiz Özgür, Arzu Ispalar Cahantimur, Rengin Beceren Öztürk

Institution: Bursa Uludağ Üni̇versi̇tesi̇

Language: English

Topic: Urban and Rural Development Challenges

Subfield: Urban Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences