Nairobi’s urban processes today are largely impacted by global and postcolonial forces. Its inherited planning frameworks keep contributing to the self-sustaining systems of socio-economic inequality and exclusion of the urban poor in a capitalist society. At the same time, its urban planning reflects postcolonial processes, characterised by the global dominance of Western knowledge and the assumption of its universal applicability, as well as the pursuit of the ‘modern’ urban imaginary. Derived within this context, the standard mainstream upgrading and (re)development practices to address informal areas are unsustainable: showing ineffective (participatory) processes, providing solutions unfit to local circumstances and needs, and mainly indicate our limited epistemological understandings. This project responses to this trend, by approaching the informal settlement as spatial manifestation of implicit knowledge by the subaltern (‘subaltern urbanism’ (Roy, 2009;2011)(Varley, 2013)) in order to explore alternative development perspectives. It approaches local knowledge as the implicit knowledge that arranges space and governance. The research analyses Mathare Valley, Nairobi, and uncovers its spatial, social, and economic structures, including the organisation of local governance. The aim of the project is to explore how local knowledge and a community-based approach can provide a base for a strategic framework to guide sustainable development in Mathare Valley. As a final outcome, the proposal of an integrative strategic framework combines spatial and non-spatial interventions, introducing a local co-operative organisation that forms the heart of the community’s collective process of empowerment. Accompanying the strategy is the community action plan, meant as inspiration for the community on how to instigate such a process. This thesis’ relevance derives from its appreciation of the depth of informal settlements, its contribution to a contextualised understanding of sustainable development, and the promotion of a broadening of urban concepts and understandings to discover new insights on more effective and sustainable solutions within the context of development of informal urban areas.

Drastic oil palm plantation expansion has left Kalimantan low on lowland rainforest. Deforestation is accompanied by environmental consequences of establishing and operating a monoculture, as well as effects on biodiversity. Sacrificing spatial complexity comes at the costs of (microclimate) cooling potential, soil erosion, nutrient seepage, species richness and vulnerability to both flooding and fire (as climate change makes extreme conditions more likely). Countermeasures against these threats focus on achieving more spatial complexity. The most important spatial interventions are intercropping, drainage ditch planting, boundary planting and restoring riparian buffers. Certifying produce as RSPO+ can steer implementation.

Uganda’s capital Kampala, is grappling with the effects of rapid urbanisation fueled by the population explosion that has transpired over the recent years. Due to the continued futility of urban planning efforts, the city’s growth has proceeded with minimal planning intervention, resulting in multiple urban development challenges. Kampala’s urbanisation is therefore largely informal, a trend that manifests most prominently in the housing sector. The perennial housing shortage has left most urbanites fighting for space within the city’s ever-growing informal settlements, which are typically situated in wetlands and are characterized by a lack of basic services and an absence of social and economic infrastructure. In addition to wetland encroachment, poor waste management and unsustainable settlement patterns, the increased downpour due to climate change has further exacerbated the flooding risk faced by the city. This research posits that urban flooding, along with other challenges is merely a consequence of unsustainable spatial planning practices. A critical review of Kampala’s planning history traces the underlying issue as that of spatial segregation; a problem with the outcomes of planning, and non-implementation; a problem with the planning processes. Although inherited from colonial times, these issues create and further propel the conflict between formal and informal practices which, more often than not, run parallel to each other. Thus, the research explores how a new strategic framework that combines both the formal and informal practices can guide towards the successful implementation of future spatial plans. The proposal set forth is to test the Pattern Language (PL) methodology as a tool that can be used to combine the practices. In line with the PL methodology, the research documents, communicates and translates the practices. The outcome is a pattern language of flood resilience practices in the Nakivubo Wetland area, which patterns are then communicated to the relevant stakeholders through a workshop held between the local residents of the wetland communities and representatives from the formal institutions. This results into the pattern field, which is also the framework that combines the formal and informal practices. Lastly, the patterns are translated into design principles that are used to develop a spatial vision for the Nakivubo Wetland area and, through the framework, guide towards its successful implementation.

Arid regions throughout the world experience long periods of drought. Combined with a high temperature, this can lead to water shortage. Due to climate change, this is expected to worsen, as areas become drier and temperatures increase. One of the regions where this problem occurs is the region of North-East Africa. In this region, water stress is expected to increase in the (near) future due to an increase in demand for water and a decrease of the availability. While most of these countries depend on a shared water source, transboundary cooperation is lacking. A regional strategy, to create a common framework, is needed to cope with this regional problem which can strengthen long term resilience. This thesis tries to find which elements are crucial when creating a regional strategy for these regions. North-East Africa has many regional differences: while the countries Sudan and Egypt are mainly dependent on water from the Nile, Libya lacks freshwater sources and depends on groundwater. Regional differences like this are why it is difficult to create one strategy which addresses the whole region at once. This is why it is important to zoom in and see what local cities or regions specifically need. By zooming in, these local differences can be, together with challenges on a larger scale, form a strategy with which the regional can tackle water shortage. The strategy itself contains three main aspects; priorities, outcomes and outputs. The six main priorities can be used to set goals for both the larger and smaller scale for both present and future, and can help decisionmakers link other topics to this common goal. The outcomes are linked to both these priorities, as well as the SDG’s, to improve the connectivity to other future policies and action plans. Outputs in this strategy are directly linked to the outcomes to provide input about how these outcomes are achievable. These outputs, also known as actions, are either spatial or policies. To illustrate the effect and possibilities of spatial actions, the Greater Cairo region is investigated on a smaller scale. This is done by looking into four main types which illustrate the various forms of urban fabric in the city. The main findings of this thesis are that a regional strategy in arid regions should take into account aspects on both small and large scale, as well as tackling issues in the present and future. Only by constantly switching between scales and time, a coherent and functioning strategy can be created.

The city of Lahore (Pakistan) is suffering from a severe environmental crisis. Water related issues such as droughts, floods and waterborne diseases have interrupted the accessibility of citizens to basic amenities. At the TU Delft, I have been approaching these issues in the Explore Lab Studio for my Master’s graduation. In my approach as a future architect, abandoned heritage – Bradlaugh Hall - will serve as an experimental laboratory for testing new ideas along with the reimplantation of local methods for climatization. In terms of programming, a common ground will be set up to narrate the existing boundaries to impede people from meeting fellow citizens out of their circle. Addressing the socio-economic segregation that has characterized Lahore since the colonial rule and has worsened in the last decades. The interaction and transgression among people will allow to learn, express and exchange ideas. Contributing to provoke awareness among citizens regarding their role in society. Along with an urban vision of reconnecting the city with the green structures as an mitigation strategy, the gardens culture will be reintegrated in the life of communities. Who have inherited the beautiful environment as part of their heritage.

In 2018 Cape Town faced the threat of becoming the first city in modern age to run out of drinking water and reach Day Zero, the day when due to a 3-year long drought the city’s taps are switched off and residents are compelled to fetch their daily 25 liters of water from communal taps. This time the city successfully managed to avoid the critical date; however, the underlying problems are not solved permanently, the future is not secured. The city is pushed forward to take action and „be a beacon in Africa through the progressive realization of Cape Town as a water sensitive city (CoCT, 2018A)”. However, water scarcity is further complicated by high levels of inequity and poor water quality in the city’s townships, where the legacy of apartheid is still present in forms of social and spatial segregation. The thesis seeks to explore and develop spatial strategies that can foster the transition towards a water sensitive Cape Town, while also providing inhabitants with equal access to water services and amenities. The Cape Town urban water cycle and resource flows are evaluated using the Water Mass Balance equation. The metabolic analysis is completed with spatial mapping of regional water flows, which reveals vulnerable territories and potential intervention zones. Three peri-urban cluster areas along different watercourses have been selected to showcase water sensitive design interventions focusing on the water-food-energy nexus. A micro scale design for Imizamo Yethu township exemplifies the details and technical aspects of implementing Water Sensitive Urban Design and Sustainable Drainage Systems. Spatial measures are translated into typologies to enhance their transferability as design principles to various locations. Besides the spatial strategies, the thesis provides recommendations on improving public participation in water governance by bridging the communication gap between local communities and decision-makers through catchment forums. The thesis concludes that the urban water cycle is an epitome of why we cannot ‘divide’ a city without serious consequences. As water flows through the city and interlaces neighbourhoods regardless of any border, Cape Town can only achieve its goal and become a water sensitive city if strategies address the whole urban ecosystem including still often neglected areas and marginalized communities.

Fear as one of the earliest survival mechanisms of humankind has significant effects on how people lived in cities since ancient times. Today fear is embedded in the physical characteristics of the urban space and how it is perceived by its inhabitants. It transforms the spatial behaviors of the contemporary citizens into introverted spatial biographies of fear, where the public spaces have become the ’dangerous outside world’ (De Cauter, 2004) to be avoided when possible. The most crucial outcome of this ongoing trend is the loss of any democratic public domain in contemporary cities. Departing from that, this thesis focuses on the dominant ecology of fear in the long-established central public space network of Istanbul comprising Gezi Park, Taksim Square & Istiklal Avenue where the citizens are disconnected from their democratic public domain in the last decade. The research aims to approach fear as an urban phenomena rediscovering and inventing tools to investigate fear in space, decode it in the context of Central Istanbul and discuss the role and range of influence of the urbanist in finding solutions to mitigate fear and establish a new constructive dialogue between the citizens of Istanbul and their public domain under extreme societal and political conditions that Central Istanbul exemplifies.

Burkina Faso is a developing country that is in a demographic transition. Its diverse population with dozens of ethnic groups, each with its own values and traditions, is growing at an extreme rate and exemplifies the phenomenon of rapid urbanization. However, the current social housing programs exclude more than 50% of the population, living from less than 75 euros a month. Housing is not accessible to the majority of the population, because of the high demand, the rising cost of basic building materials such as iron and cement, weak policies, no collaboration between the state and private sectors, and a large low-income population. This research and design project aim to contextualize issues such as high population growth, rapid urbanization, and the lack of mass social housing aimed at the Burkinabé population, whilst considering its context and cultural values. Planning for the expansion of cities, which were originally built for a limited few, is a challenge many countries in the Global South face and one that applies to all architects, planners and designers around the world. This paper shows that considering contextual Burkinabé strategies, such as the vernacular way of constructing with local techniques and materials whilst considering the harsh climate, and the way the large variety of ethnic groups communicates and shares resources, is important when wanting to scale up the rural dwellings to a city scale. Fusing both the vernacular and an African modernity offers viable solutions to the spatial development of the country’s urban growth.

The negative effects of global climate change are experienced more clearly every day, meaning that significant alterations across all causing sectors are necessary. However, the influence of the building industry as one of the most polluting sectors, is immense, but therefore this industry also has a high potential in mitigating the greenhouse gas emissions by applying circular design principles, such as circulating products and materials, and thereby designing a more sustainable, circular and healthy living environment. Additionally, increasing the amount of nature in the built environment will also contribute to this manner, nonetheless the ongoing trend of urbanisation causes a challenging dilemma between facilitating more residences and adding extra nature to the cities. Hence, new strategies of greening cities are essential to resolve this problem, at which utilising building envelopes as hosting surfaces for fostering vegetation and fauna form a highly potential solution. Therefore, the main objective of this thesis is to design a low-tech, three-dimensional, circular façade cladding system which utilises waste materials and fosters local biodiversity in urban areas. To properly design and develop this cladding system, research has been conducted through literature and case study review in the fields of circular design and biodiversity implementation in the façade industry and by physical and digital design experimentation and modelling. Whereas, the research phase resulted in various potential low-tech manufacturing techniques, suitable reclaimed materials, modular and Design-for-Disassembly design principles and a selection of building-reliant flora and fauna species to implement in the design of the system, collectively facilitating the guidelines for the design phase. Finally, after an extensive design process a three-dimensional façade system derived consisting of three main modular elements, constructed from merely five unique planar components. Through the principle of rotation, a total of nine variations of the modules are generated, which facilitates not only the implementation of local biodiversity, but also creates an intriguing architectural language. From this thesis, various conclusions have been drawn, including that in order to optimise the circular value of the design, the decision has been made to select the majority of the waste materials based on their local availability whenever the system is implemented in a certain location and at a specific timeframe. Moreover, the low-tech design strategy contributes to the involvement of the system’s end-users, eventually accelerating the transitioning process and furthermore increasing people’s awareness, knowledge and interest regarding circular, sustainable and nature-inclusive design subjects.

Rapid urbanization, governmental neglect, socio-spatial segregation, and a widening societal gap has led to São Paulo’s nickname as the ‘City of Walls’ (Caldiera, 2000). These processes continue to shape the sprawling city today, contributing to the formation of a society characterized by multi-dimensional inequality and deeply isolated marginalized communities. In addition, global pressures resulting from climate change and the degradation of ecological systems within the region further expose these marginalized communities to increasing risks. Consequently, leading parts of the city to live in the of face extreme exposure, especially as these communities lack the resilience to withstand these socio-ecological pressures. Addressing these socio-environmental inequalities requires the establishment of a foundation of ecological integrity, ensuring a high standard of liveability and an environment of inclusivity for marginalized communities. This research proposes the reconfiguration of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo through socio-ecological strategies aimed at restoring ecological integrity, promoting social inclusivity, and empowering local communities. By examining the vulnerabilities, barriers, and opportunities present in Brazilian society, this project seeks to promote the restructuring of São Paulo for socio-ecological resilience, embracing principles of nature-based urbanism, sustainable urban development, and adaptive governance capacities.

This master thesis discusses to what extend a productive open space system can increase the accessibility to local income generation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The rapid urbanising capitol of a mainly rural country cannot keep up with providing employment, housing and transportation for its current and future residents. The result is high travel costs in terms of money and time and poor access to income generation for a large share of the urban population. The aim of this thesis to investigate whether a more local approach can contribute to increasing accessibility. By designing current unused open spaces to be productive, for social activity, commercial activity and for producing (such as agriculture) activity, the accessibility to local income generation increases. The thesis discusses the Weyira sefer, a neighbourhood located in the west of Addis Ababa.

The objective of this research is to investigate to what extent the existing production of space in informal settlements is related to its social ties and economic needs, and how it can be incorporated into a strategic framework for future redevelopment schemes. This stems from the meteoric rise of informal settlements in the global south, despite several redevelopment projects and policy attempts. The selected case study is Dharavi, located in Mumbai, India. This research, through a comprehensive analytical framework in Dharavi reveal strong correlation between the economic livelihoods and networks and the existing social structure. What is also revealed is the lack of policy in the current redevelopment that addresses the pre-existing economic networks and thereby its social structure. In order to approach redevelopment of informal settlements such as Dharavi, in a more inclusive and sustainable manner, this project aims to use the hypothesis of ‘economic clustering’ in order to ‘reframe’ and develop a strategic framework for Dharavi. The strategic framework is then texted through a design framework echoing the same elements at a selected site (13-compound) inside Dharavi. The frame of ‘economic clustering’ offers a reframe on the traditional model of redevelopment in informal settlements in India and perhaps extending to the global south. Most informal settlements in the geographical realm of the global south, have distinct economic patterns and social networks which play a vital part in their existence and contributing to their perseverance. The proposed model of redevelopment aims to address and examine the existing economic networks incorporating them into a framework that provides a balanced combination of spatial guidelines and policy recommendations.

Secondary post-industrial cities in China are facing two problems. In order to promote the sustainable transformation of cities, the Chinese central government promoted “new industrialization” in 2002. This concept aims to eliminate heavy industry enterprises to create a better urban environment. Due to the imbalance in the industrial structure and loss of talent and labor, these resource-based industrial cities are facing the dilemma of industrial upgrading. On the other hand, as regional cooperation is considered extremely important in the new stage of industrialization, the central government started to promote “urban agglomeration” as a key approach to such cooperation. However, due to the complex administrative system and the unequal competition between the central and other cities, the secondary cities cannot really benefit from regionalization and are gradually spatially marginalized. The two problems form a vicious circle, hindering the sustainable upgrade of these secondary resource-based industrial cities. This project aims to study how to use spatial planning and strategic interventions to help secondary (post-) resource-based industrial cities seek better sustainability and development. To achieve this, Handan, a secondary city with a nearly 10 million population surrounded by four mega-regions, is selected as the research object. This city suffers from the development limitation of “in-between megaregions” and the threat of hindrance of heavy industrial enterprises. Except for the disadvantages, it is a city with a long history and splendid culture which could provide great potential to develop into a new type innovative metropolis.

The explosive growth of the city of São Paulo starting in the 1940s resulted in vast expansion with little attention to the characteristics of the natural landscape. This resulted in extreme modification of the water system, including canalization, piping and covering of streams. Due to these modifications and the related urban structure, São Paulo’s faces multiple difficulties regarding climate change adaptation. Therefore, this thesis aims to develop an urban regeneration strategy based around the lost natural systems in order to counter the effects of climate change and simultaneously improve the living environment within the city. From literature it appears that green-blue infrastructure can potentially be a strong tool in adapting a city to the effects of climate change, while providing multiple other benefits. As within the city the water system is closely related to the infrastructural system and because there is constant threat of informal settlements next to valuable landscape areas including the streams, there are several difficulties in developing a strategy based around the natural system. The strategy provides an holistic approach in which a multi-functional ecological axis is developed alongside the natural course of a stream as backbone of a green-blue network. Together with the implementation of infrastructural axes and several smaller interventions within the public realm, the strategy provides an answer to the problems São Paulo is facing.

There is a need to broaden discussions on sustainable mobility beyond electric cars and address the challenges faced by border regions and marginalised groups dependent on public and soft transport. This thesis explores how a transition strategy can support the creation a just and sustainable multi-modal network in a cross-border context. The provinces of Limburg and the mining district are used as a case study. Valuable insights are derived from comprehensive analyses, contributing to a holistic strategy for the region. Key findings emphasise the role of garden cities in shaping the strategy, connecting neighborhoods and promoting mobility alternatives. Improving public transport connections within the mining region is crucial for reducing car dependency and generating positive impacts. Collaboration among stakeholders is essential due to the lack of cross-border connections and administrative barriers. Repurposing the old mine infrastructure offers a transformative opportunity to establish a sustainable transport system. The envisioned future sees opportunities for the old mining infrastructure to act as a multi-modal transport backbone, integrated with multiple garden cities for enhanced connectivity and community. A pattern language approach guides the strategy-making process, tested through a workshop simulation. Policy recommendations stress cross-border collaboration, flexibility, co-creation, and data sharing. By following these recommendations, the region can achieve a just and sustainable multi-modal network, fostering regional integration, equal opportunities, and access to resources.

A corridor towards sustainable urban development is a reflection about the current planning techniques and how to apply them in the African context, specifically in Mozambique. It aims to raise awareness about the necessity of an understanding and adapting of European urban theories to the context conditionants and strong cultural identity of the African location. The main aim is to explore a shift in the metropolitan planning approaches in developing countries via a contextualized vision and strategy for Maputo Metropolitan Area 2040 that translates the expected growth of the area into a sustainable urban development introducing principles of adaptive governance and ‘non conventional’ housing policies. This project proposes a shift in perspective to approach the danger of the fast growing trend happening in the Metropolitan Area of Mozambique, which is currently leading to high rates of informality and precarious living conditions in 70% of its extension, The Maputo Metropolitan Area (MMA). The project reflects towards the research question: How can contextualized planning strategies structure metropolitan growth in a fast urbanization context as the back bone of mobility based sustainable spatial urbanization? How can adaptive governance support the decision making in this strategy?. It presents a detailed analysis and diagnosis of the area, the study of diff erent growing scenarios and the proposal of a vision and strategy for Maputo Metropolitan Area 2040. This final strategy is just a pilot of new approaches to orientate the urban development considering the diff erent aspects that condition the current situation of MMA: the spatial strategies and the policies to structure them. It introduce the proposition of changing certain principles of how to approach the context complexity, it does not aim to be a final solution. The integrated strategy is divided in three multi-scale strategies: The Corridors, Moamba airport and New Katembe that, based on non conventional housing policies and adaptive governance theoretical framework, will propose a suistainable framework for the urban development of MMA 2040

The urban periphery of Vienna is becoming increasingly dense and its population increasingly diverse. These rapid changes contribute to new conflicts and political polarization. Inclusive spaces can help democratic and diverse societies to deal with these challenge. However, no comprehensive model of centrality has emerged in the periphery until today. Therefore, this project investigates today’s structure of public space and centrality in the district Donaustadt in the context of theories on social cohesion and democracy. Moreover, it takes a look at policies and planning processes to understand how space is currently being developed. Based on the results, potential strategies and interventions for the consolidation of public life are explored. The focus for these proposals lies on the axis Kagran-Stadlau as this area is under-represented in research as well as planning documents. Through this approach, the project aims at contributing to the challenge of adapting the outskirts of European cities to the changing requirements of their societies, a topic with relevance for many other locations outside Vienna.

The increasing demand of potable water required by Mexico City has become so large that since the late 30’s the local government has opted for importing water from three different basins away from the city, causing damage to the ecosystems of the region as well as the eviction of thousands of indigenous communities from their homelands. Since the late 18th century, agrarian land reforms in Mexico have been constantly modified in favor of expanding the development of its main cites, creating a segregation of services and depriving native communities from vital resources as well as indirect consequences such as increasing their cost of living without improving their livelihoods. The tendency for the city’s water management model is to expand the supply regardless of the social and environmental costs, resulting in an ever-growing water infrastructure network that threatens the long term well-being of the population. This research seeks to understand the process of urban transformation of Mexico city and illustrate how water sensitive urbanization patterns in the city’s periphery may create an entry point for other disciplines and interested stakeholders to help ameliorate the ongoing expansion of the city’s water extraction infrastructure through an autonomously governed and decentralized collective water management system.

The story of modern Botswana is that of dualities. At the time of independence in 1966, it was the second poorest country in the world in terms of GDP. Since then, it has seen explosive economic growth and accompanying improvements in human development. It is now ranks third in sub-saharan Africa in both GDP per capita and HDI. This impressive record, however, does not tell the full story. Botswana is the 10th most economically unequal country in the world and is ranked 132nd out of 137 surveyed countries in the World Happiness Report. This project seeks to explore the relationships between the urban system, inequality and life fulfilment by analyzing the spatial and societal systems active both in the present day and in the traditional/pre-colonial era. An anthropological and philosophical lens is used throughout the analysis in order to distill the value systems that have underpinned life in these different historical eras. These value systems, in turn, reveal the perspective through which people have been experiencing their environments, which helps to explain why this concept of life fulfilment inequality is present here. There is a clear disconnect between the cultural and historical makeup of society in Botswana and the modern systems, spaces and institutions which govern everyday life. Thirteen principles for a new urban system are then proposed, which when taken together, attempt to define a system which prioritizes economic/socio-spatial equity and the maximization of life fulfilment. Design demonstrations are created to imagine how these principles could be translated into space.

The exposure of flooding has been existed in several Global South countries, not particularly in Indonesia. The community which has been living in vulnerable location encounters the magnitude of flooding through times with a difficult and complicated situation to encounter the devastating impact of the disaster. Many policies and actions from the government have tried to solve the issues, yet the outcomes are still improperly touching the root of problems. Lack of dialogue between authority and inhabitants has resulted in a clash of rationalities which then destructs the process of policy implementation. The primary objective of the research is to set various pattern of intervention which can be implemented in informal settlement as a part of constructing resilience and sustainable system in the neighborhood. Based on that objectives, several observations and analysis were made to identify the local properties that could contribute to the improvement of spatial, economic, and social quality. The flooding as the central issues in this project is also analyzed through layer mapping and analytical review, including identification of stakeholder and flood-risk governance that exist in the system. The framework of resilience which includes engineering resilience, ecological resilience and social resilience is being a reference to determine the value of existing properties which importantly contributed to the performance of resilience-sustainability system. Zoned-defined intervention as the design hypothesis is proposed as the statement of solution which tries to manage diverse problems on the site. Due to the complexity and variety of the problems, categorization of problems is made to determine the most important properties in the neighborhood which still needs improvement. The products of this research compile several layers of solution which includes policy recommendations, design framework, pattern of designs and test case (pilot project) intervention. The framework of flood-risk governance asses all the intervention and design proposal which then contributes to the improvement of resilience value. In the end, this research will be an input for the local stakeholders, both the authority and grassroots actors, to develop the quality of livelihood in the context towards a more resilience and sustainable neighborhood. Considering the complexity of the subject, further research on multiple dimension is necessary before practically implementing the solution.