Determining ecological footprints for sustainable cities; sample of Sakarya city

Unchecked growth, or urban expansion, causes a host of negative environmental effects in cities and produces a myriad of ecological issues. Planning initiatives in cities must include a “ecological city” perspective in order to tackle these urgent problems and combat the global climate disaster. A vital first step in accomplishing this sustainability goal is determining the size and scope of a city’s ecological footprint. The main objective of this study was to calculate the ecological footprints of Sakarya for the years 2010 and 2018. This comprehensive evaluation encompassed a range of key components, including energy consumption from fossil fuels, heating and transportation costs, food consumption patterns, waste generation, recycling rates, and urban land usage. In 2010 and 2018, the total ecological footprints resulting from these variables were 1,125,856 and 1,226,490 global hectares, respectively. Most significant drivers behind the increase in Sakarya’s ecological footprint during this period found were the utilization of fossil fuels and energy consumption. Consequently, our findings underscore the importance of implementing alternative energy sources, such as biofuels and waste-produced energy, alongside adopting alternative transportation methods to reduce the ecological footprint. We also provide insights into the associated costs of these measures and propose innovative solutions to be considered.