Coastal ecosystems are increasingly vulnerable to the intensifying impacts of climate change, urban expansion, and industrial development. In Balikpapan Bay, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, mangrove degradation poses serious ecological, social, and economic risks—especially in light of the development of Indonesia’s new capital, Nusantara. This thesis explores an integrated approach to mangrove regeneration that seeks to balance environmental restoration with ongoing socioeconomic development pressures. By applying socio-spatial strategies that emphasise site potential, the project investigates how place-specific interventions can strengthen social-ecological resilience—fostering healthy ecosystems that adapt to climate change while supporting the livelihoods and cultural values of coastal communities.

Grounded in the concepts of designing with nature, people, and synergy, the research combines spatial analysis, field observations, stakeholder engagement, and design exploration. Taking the landscape as a departure point, the project identifies leverage points within governance structures and community practices to enable collaborative restoration. It proposes spatial frameworks for multiple strategic sites, incorporating nature-based solutions, adaptive land use, and community-driven ecotourism and aquaculture. In doing so, the project reimagines mangrove landscapes as resilient socio-ecological systems. The findings offer insights for coastal planning and climate adaptation in Indonesian estuarine and deltaic regions facing similar challenges. ... Read more

Since the Industrial Revolution, fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas have provided the vast majority of energy used by our globalising civilisation. The rapid growth in energy use in the past 250 years has led to increasing fossil fuel usage, which has been the primary driver behind the ongoing climate emergency. Policy measures in the Netherlands aiming to reduce the country’s carbon emissions have so far been insufficient because of a lack of visioning and concrete strategies. A primary source of the persistent emissions is the Port of Rotterdam, which acts as Europe’s fossil fuel gateway as well as the most polluting port in the continent, due to the excessive petrochemical activities. The pollution is one of the causes of climate change, which threatens the Dutch landscape with possible extreme sea level rise and weather conditions. The main objective of this report is to imagine a carbon-neutral post-fossil fuel future where the changing water landscape is considered, and the Port-region of Rotterdam adopts a decentralised energy system by 2100.

Historical and social analysis of the ports’ position in the energy system together with the current policies of the energy transition was used to formulate goals and a conceptual framework. By using scenario building for uncertainties and their evaluation, a final vision of an inclusive energy transition was developed. To achieve the desirable systemic shift, this report outlines a set of development strategies through toolkits, new policies, and strategic sites namely in the Port of Rotterdam, Zeeland, Dordrecht, and the Green Heart. A detailed example of Port of Rotterdam is chosen to illustrate how specific actors can define the new energy-inclusive built environment.

This report aims to outline a transition pathway from the polluting and exclusive energy system towards a decentralised, sustainable, and carbon-neutral energy system that empowers communities and individuals in the Eurodelta region. A crucial element of the project is the establishment of a resilient energy system, taking in the consideration of sea level rise and worsening climate situation expected in the next decades. The integration of renewable energy, nature-based water management solutions and redevelopment of obsolete fossil-fuel scapes will transform the ports, urban centres, and peri-urban areas into a dispersed energyscape. This way, the new energyscape is inclusive and adaptive, allowing people to have a voice in their energy production while also being more in touch with nature. ... Read more