Beloved Coal: The Living Comfort After Retirement of Coal Power Plants. Case studies of Coal Regions During Energy Transition in Poland and Bulgaria

Abstract

The transition of coal power plants has showed the struggles in overcoming coal energy in Europe, where its largest power plant, Bełchatów Power Station, in 2021 announced its fourteen-year closure plan. In the instances of Poland and Bulgaria, coal regions are hesitant to act for transitioning and their energy distribution systems still predominantly rely on coal. Therefore, alternatives for the transformation of coal-related infrastructure is critical for future urban planning strategies to enable a new adaptable way of living without carbon energy. In the first part, this paper will investigate how coal energy framed current architecture and infrastructure, which indicate why Poland and Bulgaria are reluctant to act due to their deep-rooted energy grids. The analysis of urban economic changes through satellite maps and archived photos in Poland and Bulgaria will demonstrate how their regional urban redevelopment gives urban planners directions for future transition. The last part explores new standards of living comfort for inhabitants to follow to propose new design schemes that architects and engineers should implement. This is supported by evaluations of building design strategies from existing projects. These strategies can suggest future redevelopment of coal-related industrial clusters and prepare a way of living without coal.