In an increasingly urbanised world, inner-city densification is a key strategy for achieving sustainable urban development. However, this process often conflicts with urban health goals, giving rise to the Health-Density paradox: the tension between Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 for sustainable cities and communities, and SDG 3 for good health and wellbeing. This thesis explores how these contradictory objectives can be reconciled through design. Rather than seeking a universal solution, it argues for a context-sensitive approach by reconceptualising both urban density and urban health. Using the neighbourhood of Overvecht Zuid in Utrecht as a case study, the research investigates how urban densification strategies can be tailored to specific contexts in a way that promotes, rather than compromises, urban health.

This study applies a conceptual framework in which urban density is prescriptively defined through Floor Space Index (FSI) and Ground Space Index (GSI), while urban health is unpacked into eight determinants. The eight determinants are People, Lifestyle, Community, Local Economy, Activities, Built Environment, Natural Environment, and Global Ecosystem. The maximisation method structures the design process, enabling transparent urban design decisions throughout the process. The results suggests that targeted increase and decrease in GSI across the site can strengthen different health determinants. Although empirical data on the precise relationship between density measures and health determinants remains very limited.

All in all, this thesis demonstrates that the maximisation method can effectively serve as a design framework to operationalise the Health-Density nexus, offering a path towards urban densification strategies that supports urban health.

Only 1% of the surface water in the Netherlands has been classified as ‘good’, making it the EU member state with the worst quality of surface water (Didde, 2022). Polluted rivers cause problems such as worsened human health, reduced biodiversity, and poor soil fertility. To comply with the Water Framework Directive, there is an urgent need to transform water management in the Netherlands. This report adopts a research-by-design approach to address the issue of water pollution on a pilot project scale, specifically the river Eem in the Netherlands. The policies and interventions implemented in the river Eem area are categorised according to their transferability to different programming areas, namely urban, industry, or agriculture, creating a toolbox that can be used to upscale the same approach in various parts of the Eurodelta. The report answers the following research question: How can the transformation of the Eem Valley turn the river Eem into the healthiest river in Europe as a pilot for the Eurodelta? It catalyses rethinking pollution flows from human activities, industries, and agricultural practices. The goal is to develop sustainable practices for the land surrounding the river and create a synergy between improved soil and water quality. Finally, the report concludes with a toolbox of interventions and policies that contribute to improving river water quality. The toolbox forms the basis for implementing this small-scale approach on a larger scale