Transforming traditional villages into sustainable communities: Evaluating ecovillage potential in Bursa, Turkey

Abstract

Converting traditional villages into ecovillages provides a sustainable path for rural development by integrating ecological, social, and cultural aspects. This study utilizes the Community Sustainability Assessment (CSA) tool from the Global Ecovillage Network to evaluate the potential of six villages in Bursa, Turkey, across coastal, lowland, and mountain typologies using 21 themes and 900 criteria. Within the scope of the research, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to the quantitative data obtained from the CSA using IBM SPSS V28. The results indicate that coastal villages show greater potential for transition to a more sustainable lifestyle, while mountain villages face challenges with resource management and infrastructure. The villages show strong cultural and spiritual resilience, having existed for centuries, but many ecological practices have been lost due to urban migration. Recommendations include creating a national ecovillage database, training experts, supporting local projects, and convincing villagers of the transformation's benefits. This study highlights the significance of the CSA for measuring sustainability potential and suggests future research on traditional villages in various geographies, along with developing region-specific methodologies. This approach focuses on enhancing existing villages rather than starting new ecovillages from scratch.