Power Literacy: Towards a Socially Just, Decolonial and Democratic Design Process

This report outlines the design process, research activities and results of a graduation thesis on power and privilege in multi-stakeholder public and social sector design processes. Due to a perceived gap in the design field, both in education and practice, the aim of this project is to support designers in becoming more aware of power dynamics...

Communis: a hybrid of self-build housing and flexible workspaces for young professionals and entrepreneurs

In a contemporary society, where new living and working habits emerge, this project will attempt to find ways to serve these new living conditions in a way that will also have a positive societal impact as well as high levels of human satisfaction. A shift towards the formation of co-working, co-living environment is proposed as the answer to...

Het Verticale Hof: De omgeving zorgt voor ouderen

The population of the Netherlands is ageing. The number of people above 65 is expected to grow from 3.1 million in 2017 to 4.8 million in 2040. The increasing ageing population results in more elderly in need of care and a lower percentage of young people able to provide formal care. The classical welfare state seems to gradually change to a ...

Noord's Participatiesamenleving: Towards a spatial response to government participation

The introduction of the participatiesamenleving policy direction to the Netherlands has triggered local government to shift its focus towards large projects in their district. Citizens are left to themselves, and take over former governmental responsibilities. This thesis calls for a transition in the policies surrounding citizen initiatives for...

New Bridge Keepers

The project concerns a minimal spatial design that re-invents the watersystem in South-Holland by connecting waterways with roads through social use. The water system of Holland functions not only as a very imporant structure to keep our feet dry, as well as a vital transport organ and recreational layer. Because of the developments in the past...

Towards a DiverCity

The ‘Arrival City’ (Saunders, 2010) describes a multicultural environment in Europe that creates opportunities and challenges at the same time (Wood, 2009). Sure enough, segregated, deprived neighbourhoods are a common outcome of this phenomenon. Often unplanned and uncontrolled social expansion characterised by primarily low-rent neighbourhoods...

Things Overlooked: Exploring housing renewal with actor-network theory

While network perspectives in housing studies have gained currency over the last decade, research looking at the actor-networks of housing management is limited. This is remarkable given the recognition for actor-network theory (Latour, 2005) in the related fields of urban studies (Farías and Bender, 2010) and planning theory (De Roo et al.,...

Bloeiend: Encouraging neighbourhood participation

Austerity policies in the Netherlands cause citizens to become more responsible for social support, and to people in need of social support to keep living independently up to an older age. This led to the assignment by Zuidzorg to find new ways to encourage neighbourhood participation. Preliminary research and interviews with people in Budel,...

Meer mensen, meer ideeën, meer oplossingen: Participatie in stedelijke ontwikkeling

Urban planning and development increasingly incorporates citizens in its process in order to build a city that is catered to its users needs. But what exactly is the added value of participation for the government and housing associations?

Living on Crunchy Street: Redesigning the site of the departing Calve/DSM factory in Delft as a socially sustainable district

A design was made for the Calve/DSM site in Delft. It is a factory site which is being abandoned by its users, leaving 16 ha to be developed in the coming future. The aim is to develop a socially sustainable creative district through means of self-organisation. The project is restricted to the borders of the design location and takes the open...