This research explores the impact of urban design on perceived safety in Oud Mathenesse, a hyper-diverse and vulnerable urban area in the Netherlands. Utilizing a human-centred and interdisciplinary approach, the study aims to provide insights and recommendations for urban planners and policymakers. The primary research question focuses on how urban design can enhance perceived safety in such a diverse context. The study employs qualitative methods, examining the social and physical environments and their influence on residents’ perceptions of safety.

Key findings reveal that perceived safety or subjective safety is not something that is for everyone the same. Therefore a public space must be inclusive and accommodate the different experiences and perceptions. Social factors, such as public familiarity and social behaviour, significantly shape perceived safety. The physical environment, including accessibility, visibility, legibility, and attractiveness, also plays a crucial role. The research highlights the need for inclusive urban design that considers diverse safety perceptions of different user groups.

The study concludes that urban design interventions tailored to the specific needs of Oud Mathenesse can improve perceived safety and overall liveability. Recommendations include enhancing public spaces, creating communal venues, and fostering a sense of community identity. The research emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary methods and human-centred design in addressing the complexities of hyper-diverse urban environments, contributing to the broader discourse on social equality and inclusivity in urban planning. ... Read more

The province of South Holland is a region in the Netherlands that can be characterized by its flourishing economy. The place where the vein of the river Maas stretches out over land and the Port of Rotterdam has settled in as a strategic trade-point. Moreover, the abundant agricultural sector in Westland holds accountable for not only multiple glasshouses, but also many livestock farms in the province.
When it comes to social inclusion in this big trade-port frame, the disconnection between the workers of the port to the chain of trade they are involved in is clearly noticeable. At the same time, farmers have no relation to the port industries and chains of distribution and cooperation.
This said, the vision strives to transform the linear, incoherent and patchy economy into a bio-based economy, truly rooted on circular and cooperative hallmarks. Enclosed within is a strategy that embeds entirely the waste-chains that can be found in both the Port and the agricultural sector and have currently been underused.
The idea of generating bio-energy from processed waste flows from glasshouses and farmers ensures that the production runs on bio-based means. To completely close the cycle, the vision enhances the port provision of CO2 through pipelines underground to the glasshouses in the Westland, as it further supports cultivation of crops and helps to reduce unsustainable energy consumption.
New cycles based on waste, unveil new landscape demands in the Province of South Holland, in which waste streams can be treated, traded and re-used for new purposes. These are zones with high potential to become spots for the exchange of knowledge from both parties (Port and agricultural sector) on how to strive and cooperate in the transition towards a circular and cooperative economy, in the near future.
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