In the Netherlands landscape and (agri)culture have always influenced each other and there is an inherent relationship between them. Through innovations over time, the province of South-Holland developed profitable productive food-landscapes which provided an important contribution to the Dutch food production and export, making the Netherlands one of the leading food-exporters worldwide. However, the profit-oriented character of the productive landscape no longer fits well with the changing societal values, as the current pattern is destructive to the environment and people feel disconnected from the food production and the landscape. Society today does not only value profit, but also increasingly cares about the environment and social justice. The productive systems are locked into a path of environmental destruction and do not focus on the values of society, which show increased awareness of the importance of a healthy, diverse, environmental-friendly and inclusive approach towards future developments. To resolve this mismatch between landscape and culture, this project aims to transform the current economic-driven food productive landscapes towards regenerative food landscapes that match with the values and needs of society today. To do so, this project starts from the perspective of the landscape, uses transition theory as a theoretical base, takes into account social justice, and investigates the spatial implications of regenerative development. The results are a vision that foresees regenerative landscapes for South Holland and a strategy with interventions to reach this vision by 2050. Both the vision and the strategy take into account the three different types of food landscapes of South Holland: agriculture on clay soil, livestock and dairy production on peat soil, and horticulture in a mixed peri-urban environment. The regenerative landscapes will not only mitigate the effects of previous destructions but reverse them by a cooperative relation between man and nature . The landscapes will revitalize the province to sustain modern values and to restore the inherent relation between landscape and culture.

Amsterdam is a city known for its vibrancy, tolerance and diversity. In the last few decades, the city has grown immensely and is expected to continue to grow in the coming years. Therefore, it looks across the IJ-river to redevelop its northern city part. The former harbour, industry and labour-class neighbourhoods need revitalisation after years of neglect. However, current development is predominantly focused on the waterfront and does little to integrate the low-density areas beyond. After years of neglect and isolation, the existing population fear the new developments that attract people with different lifestyles to Amsterdam-Noord. As the pressure to urbanise Amsterdam-Noord increases, it is required to consider how it can be adapted to manage the densification and urbanisation. The gap between new and old (development and people) is striking and needs to be bridged. This thesis explores how by increasing urban vitality, this gap can be bridged. Urban vitality can be experienced in the public realm. It is precisely there where people can meet and mingle. Urban vitality is a quality of cities that stimulates liveliness and liveability. It requires diversity, concentration of people and accessible and inclusive public life and functions. How to achieve urban vitality is researched in literature and by using reference cases. This is then translated into a system of patterns, and these are applied at two strategic locations on 3 sites. The three design explorations have different approaches for increasing urban vitality. Beemsterstraat I strives to fit in the existing urban fabric and activate the nodes to stimulate urban life. Beemsterstraat II uses additions to make a residential neighbourhood more active. Finally, the kampferfoelieweg is more drastic as it incorporates many new buildings to patch up and define left-over space and forms a dynamic link between many neighbourhoods. Although these three approaches vary on the implementation, the intention is similar: to provide meeting places and link communities through public life and awareness of others at strategic locations in a regional network. Operating stakeholder relations, continuous adaptation and maintenance of the built environment, engaging and empowering the local community is crucial to preserve urban vitality.