From Energyscape To Energy Justice: Rethink Approaches For A Just Energy Transition: Revitalize the neglected regions through integrated planning: a case study in Changhua, Taiwan

Taiwanese landscape has dramatically changed since 2018, when the Energy Transition White Paper was published. Due to the land limitation, the Taiwanese government has focused on the multifunctional use of land to create renewable energy and maintain the original activities on the ground at the same time, especially on agricultural lands. However, realistic situations are far from the ideal proposed. Tons of aquacultural and agricultural lands have become fragmented, damaging the landscape and even causing hidden threats: farmers’ work rights losses, food security issues, and ecosystem hazards. The reason for these derivative problems is complicated and cannot be blamed on a single factor. But the key argument in this thesis is because of the lack of integration of spatial and social perspectives in energy transition programs. Therefore, energy justice in this thesis focuses on the discussion of the derivative problems led by the consequence of neglected perspectives in the energy transition. From a spatial perspective, Taiwan currently has three separate spatial planning systems, urban, regional, and national park planning systems. Each of them follows different laws and manages the land use type in its own way. Due to the development-oriented planning, some land use types have more flexibility and looser regulation in terms of construction. And due to this fact, energy developers work with landowners to apply for changes in land use from aquaculture or agriculture to specific land uses to generate the most renewable energy, losing the purpose of multifunctional use and resulting in absurd landscape changes. More specifically, the lack of holistic spatial planning and the integration with the energy transition plan makes responsibility unclear that causing collaboration between sectors more difficult. The systemic deficiency has led to social consequences with the injustice mentioned above that have yet to have specific orders and measures to be addressed, exacerbating the public's untrust of the energy transition. In 2025, a new integrated planning system called National Spatial Planning will be implemented as a holistic spatial planning system. It merges current planning systems and includes the marine spatial area. Thus, this thesis chose Changhua County, an area with high renewable energy development but huge hidden threats in various domains, as the case study area to test how to integrate this new spatial planning system based on purposes of different zoning with energy strategies that include spatial and social aspects. There are three products in this thesis. First, the energyscape template design demonstrates how to prevent hidden threats and create procedural and distributional justice based on the considerations of societal factors that influence people’s acceptance of the energy transition. Second, regional strategies with spatial and social perspectives to examine value creation that rebalances regional development, bringing back identities to uncompetitive areas that are neglected or sacrificed within the energy transition process. Lastly, developing National energy transition advice, operational or strategic, to help create a justice energy transition in Taiwan.Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences | Complex Citie

Syn-energy: An interconnected, renewable and fair energy system in South Holland, by 2050

Our society is dealing with multiple wicked problems: the Climate Crisis, poverty, inequality and our need for a sustainable and healthy environment to live in. The Climate Crisis increases the urge to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels and requires a structural transformation to our management and distribution of space, economy and community. More than 8% of the Dutch population faces energy poverty, and this percentage will increase with the rising energy prices and unstructured national framework. The Province of South Holland, in the Netherlands, is a region thriving from an economy based not only in the biggest port in Europe, the Port of Rotterdam, but also thriving design, technologies and innovations in the cultural centres of cities like Delft, Leiden, Rotterdam and The Hague. This region has a great potential to strategically change the energy generation towards alternative, renewable sources, as well as the energy consumption of the region to tackle social inequalities such as energy poverty. This report will elaborate on the question of how a just energy transition towards 100% renewable energy of the Province of South Holland can be created through synergising and adjusting the spatial distribution. Through research by design, approached by students of the department of urbanism of ‘Bouwkunde’ at the TU Delft, the scope and application of regional planning for energy development will be illustrated to facilitate an adaptive, inclusive and collaborative energy transition in the Province of South Holland.A systemic change is needed, which will create the opportunity for the Port of Rotterdam to evolve from the current petrolscape to a renewable energyscape and to become a leading role model in the energy transition towards regional renewable energy generation and distribution, and a global hydrogen hub. A fair system without energy poverty, accessible, affordable and efficient energy and mobility, a repurposed energyspace for diverse renewable energy systems and a recycling system, and a local energy production will enable a just transition towards a fossil fuel free future for the Province of South Holland.AR2U086 R&D Studio – Spatial Strategies for the Global MetropolisArchitecture, Urbanism and Building Science