Mankind is exhausting natural resources. Therefore, the need to transform the linear material flows towards circular chains is increasing. Steel is a material that is produced and used globally and has high potentials for recycling. However, in the maritime sector, steel is currently barely recycled, let alone reused in a more direct way. Maritime manufacturing is a vital industry in the province of South-Holland, strengthened by a strong knowledge network. The aim of this project is to localise and extend the steel life cycle, to create an environmentally and socially sustainable province in which maritime manufacturing can grow in a responsible way. In order to close the loops, the R-ladder is used as a framework for circular material flows in the manufacturing industry and in the participation of the citizens. A local steel life cycle for maritime manufacturing will be achieved through the connection of the steel using maritime companies in Rotterdam and the Drecht Cities with the steel production company of TATA Steel in IJmuiden. Missing links in the cycle, a secondary steel processing company and ship disassembly companies, will be brought to the province, providing a new purpose to the Port of Rotterdam when fossil fuels phase out. The transition to material circularity will be made possible through innovations in modular shipbuilding and renewable fuels. Innovation centres in the maker's industry will bridge between knowledge and practice. The consumers will be involved in the material transition through community re-hubs in their cities, where they can share, reuse and recycle products. In this strategy, the extensive water network will function as a backbone along which spatial developments will take place. The water backbone will be a connector for both public transport and industrial transport. This strategy for a transition towards circular steel flows in maritime manufacturing, can be an incentive and inspiration for other manufacturing sectors to close their material cycles.

Postwar neighbourhoods, designed in the 1950s and '60s with the wijkgedachte in mind, have developed into unattractive environments. These areas are now defined by monotonous apartment blocks surrounded by vast stretches of grass and car-focused infrastructure. As a result, the quality of life has declined. This graduation project researches how a radical redesign of the postwar neighbourhood can lead to a joyful future for its residents. The research method combines exploratory, utopian design with supplementary theoretical and analytical studies. The way to joy is found in walking, recognising its benefits for physical, social and mental wellbeing. The structure walking plan consist of a close-knit walking network of lively routes and restorative routes, in combination with a variety of daily amenities spread over four community centres and the neighbourhood centre. Additionally, a detailed redesign is proposed to convert the large amounts of ‘empty’ public space into four allotment garden communities. This approach integrates design principles for walking with the values of the allotment garden complex, and the hidden qualities of the postwar neighbourhood. As a result, the radical redesign of Pendrecht creates a lively and joyful environment where walking and gardening become a central and enjoyable part of daily life. Thus, enabling a revitalisation of the wijkgedachte.