This thesis examines the impact of the formalisation process on recipient households in peri-urban areas of Albania, by employing a multi-dimensional framework, adapted from Frediani and Hansen (2015), which uses aspects of both the Capability Space and the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework. The main research question explores the impact of formalization on recipient households, while sub-questions delve into aspects such as tenure security, socio-economic characteristics, asset accumulation, and the influence of external factors on the benefits of formalization. It adopts a case-study approach, where different qualitative methods are used to study two cases in different cities in Albania, Kamëz and Durrës. A total of 36 recipient households were selected as participants, taking part in a qualitative door-to-door survey, where subsequently, five of which were part of semi-structured interviews. Alongside this, several experts and government officials were interviewed as well, to gain a better understanding of the issues and to assure the triangulation of the data. The data analysis utilized Excel for the survey data and ATLAS.ti for interview transcripts, employing both deductive and inductive coding techniques. The findings reveal that the obtaining of ownership certificates had limited overall impact on the access to livelihood assets amongst recipient households. While there were some enhancements in financial capital for a few participants, the changes were not present in the rest of the sample population. Moreover, for those few participants that observed any changes following formalisation, the possession of other assets and skills prior to the process, played a significant role in their ability to capitalise on the legal status of their properties. This thesis highlights the importance of considering multiple dimensions of well-being, and accounting for the local socio-economic contexts, to fully understand the impact of formalisation on recipient households. It emphasizes the need for further research into gentrification and formalisation, the need for longitudinal and comparative studies, as well as further academic research into policy measures that can address the broader socio-economic challenges concerning formalisation. Lastly, the findings can inform future initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable development and inclusive urbanisation in Albania and similar contexts.

Citizen participation is a practice in the built environment practised frequently in construction projects to voice the opinions of residents. However, the participation process is not a standard practice in the industry yet. With the new Environmental and Planning Act of 2024, participation will be the responsibility of the private sector within building project, embedding the participation process into the construction sector. This creates a chance to implement the process in a fundamental and sustainable manner and contribute to social sustainability in a neighbourhood. However, the lack of knowledge about participation, and only the just renewed focus on socially related goals contribute to an environment of uncertainty about how to implement citizen participation in such a fundamental manner. This research investigates this relationship between the private-led citizen participation process and social sustainability, in regeneration projects in early post-war neighbourhoods, to contribute to the knowledge on how to fundamentally shape a participation process that stimulates social sustainability. Based on literature review, case studies and semi-structured interviews, the main question is answered: “To what extent can the private-led citizen participation process during regeneration projects influence social sustainability in a neighbourhood?” Through lessons learned and literature validation it becomes apparent that the participation process can stimulate social sustainability – however only when certain aspects are inherent of the participation process. The advice as a result of this research provides the reader with valuable lessons on what aspects of the citizen participation lead to a process that will contribute to social sustainability in the neighbourhood, supporting the private sector in the shift of participation responsibility towards them.

Due to technological innovations free-form shapes in architecture can be seen more often nowadays. For instance in façades, roofs and pavilions. In between this design shape and actual producible shape lays a complex process that has to do with approximating and subdividing this shape in economically producible panels. Restrictions for production depend on the used materials, production techniques and the method of assembly. The aim of this research is to develop a method for manufacturing free-form steel structures – with a guarantee for high accuracy – relying only on a CNC laser cutter. This methodology consist out of three parts. The first part focusses on generating a quadrangular subdivision based on the topology of the shape. The second part explains a global approach that increases the developability in the panels, while maintaining a certain accuracy to the original shape. Lastly the modified geometry is transformed to structural elements on which a preliminary structural analysis is executed to provide an estimation of the required dimensions of the elements.

Recent societal developments, as well as environmental problems like global warming, demand more socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable lifestyles and dwellings. Collaborative housing describes a possible path to meet those demands by sharing spaces and goods. To determine how the concept of sharing in collaborative housing can contribute to more sustainable cities, the following research question is posed: ‘How does the concept of sharing in collaborative housing increase the sustainability of cities?’. It is explored, what the theoretical and practical impacts of sharing in collaborative housing on social, environmental, and economic sustainability are. These questions are answered by an explorative literature review and by studying two cases of collaborative housing in Vienna in detail. Collaborative housing as an umbrella term for different types in the research context is explained, as well as the scope of sustainability within the work. Furthermore, the concept of sharing is introduced in the context of collaborative housing. The findings from literature and the collaborative housing projects are reviewed for their possibility to make urban living, and therefore cities, more sustainable. Sharing in collaborative housing serves as a catalyst for more sustainable cities, not only by its presence, but also as role model and experimental space for housing and urban development projects.

Our housing market is challenged. Housing prices are rising, and the number of single-person households is increasing, which impacts the affordability of housing. Cohousing offers a possible solution to this problem. However, the level of empowerment of cohousing communities to self-organize is troubled by financial or legal barriers, among other things. Self-organization is defined as: initiatives that emerge spontaneously in civil society from autonomous community-based networks of citizens, who are part of the urban system but independent of government procedures, and that are created around a common intrinsic motivation. The concept of sharing economy might provide a solution for the current barriers to cohousing development. Sharing economy is defined as: collaborative consumption of under-utilized goods, enabled through access rather than ownership, often through the use of community-based online services. This research connects sharing economy to cohousing by looking at empowerment of self-organization of cohousing initiatives. Sharing economy and self-organization of cohousing communities are connected because both are community-based initiatives, which are built upon a common motivation, and both are not facilitated by political power. The following research question was answered by studying a cohousing initiative: How can the concept of sharing economy support empowerment of cohousing communities towards self-organization to create affordable homes? This study researches empowerment by researching the community’s social capital, research shows that social capital contributes to community empowerment. Research findings show that the studied cohousing project can be viewed as a sharing economy. This leads to both advantages and disadvantages for the community. Moreover, the project struggles with its self-organization and is largely dependent on the housing corporation. Lastly, the cohousing project possesses social capital, but some elements can be improved. Moreover, the research found that the sharing economy within the cohousing initiative can support some conditions for self-organization, as well as bonding social capital. However, the aforementioned disadvantages of the case study’s sharing economy may limit the benefits. To reduce the disadvantages of sharing economy, this study proposes a communication tool as a possible solution for improving communication in the studied cohousing project. The tool, called ‘(im)Perfection Puzzle’, uses geometric shapes to help residents explain their thoughts and ideas regarding a specific problem and as a result work towards the acceptance of the differences in everyone’s ideas. A test of the tool illustrated that the tool has potential, but future research is recommended as long term effects remain unclear. Also, research with other cohousing projects is recommended for validating the connection between sharing economy and self-organization, and sharing economy and social capital.

The Netherlands is rapidly ageing, while at the same time, seniors themselves are also changing in comparison to previous generations, leading to changing housing demands. Collaborative housing addresses several of these new demands effectively. Nonetheless, collaborative housing is laborious and risky. Therefore, this research investigates how to improve collaborative housing and its development process, in the context of seniors. The main research question is “How can young seniors positively contribute to the realisation process of appropriate housing for themselves?”, where a preference is made for appropriate housing being collaborative housing. Additionally, the research focuses on seniors between the ages of 55 and 65. The main research question is answered through the following five sub research questions: What are the housing demands of young seniors, and through which criteria’s do they judge their environment? How will the housing demands of young seniors change over the coming decades? What government policies affect the match, and how? What are the key constraints affecting the development process? How can the constraints be alleviated? 
The research takes an empirical, qualitative approach. To operationalise the research questions, Grounded Theory is adopted, with a range of methods and data collection methods: desk research and interviews. The objective of the research is to create knowledge for seniors and external actors involved with these projects, about the nature and common pitfalls of these development processes. The findings show that there are eight aspects of housing that are important to seniors: apartment in a unique building, 70-100m2, a green/sustainable environment, on the edge of town, privacy-oriented, future-proof, with influence on resident selection, and a diverse group of residents. Seven motivations were discovered: positive reinforcement, exploration - new activities - new people, enjoyment, support, cognitive vitality, a chance to redesign life, and the fact that children moved out. From both the government and market perspective, it became clear that there will be more seniors, and that their housing demands will further diversify over the coming decades. Government entities seem to focus on the demographic aspects of the developments, where all entities except provinces seem to have a good amount of knowledge. The market focuses more on the solution required for these demographic changes. Seniors can count on direct and indirect policies, where the majority of policies are of a financial nature (loan, grants and guarantees). There are some ‘ecosystem’ policies in place. One direct policy from the national government provides significant financial support, while most other direct and indirect policies are less significant. Twenty-five constraints were found, present over five constraint categories: economic, legal, process, social, and communicative. Based on presence of constraints across phases, five constraints were found to be most impactful. To alleviate the constraints, 24 tasks were found for residents, and three for municipalities. The tasks occur mostly in the early phases of the projects, and the majority of them involve external advisors. In conclusion, seniors should seek to organise their resident group as professionally as possible, and where possible, “import” the necessary knowledge.

Due to the limited quantitative and qualitative supply of elderly housing and an increasing demand for alternative housing forms, more and more resident initiatives arise in the Netherlands. However, it is evident from these resident initiatives that municipal processes lack focus, cooperation and experience with resident initiatives such as collective private commissioning projects. Therefore, this research aimed to explore how municipalities can better facilitate collective private commissioning (CPC) to respond to the increasing demand for elderly housing in urban areas. Literature review and desk research were conducted to create a theoretical framework; and to gain more insights into the concept, demand and useful instruments to facilitate CPC projects. CPC can be defined as a social project development method in which a group of future residents jointly have decision making authority and full responsibility for the use of the land and/or the building, the design and (re)development of their own private and public spaces, and sometimes even facilities, in a transformation, renovation, or newly-built housing project. Based on the theoretical framework, a qualitative study was conducted to discover the motives and experiences of municipalities when facilitating CPC. Seven municipalities were interviewed to create an overview of barriers and opportunities. These barriers and opportunities were made clear based on the theoretical framework. The results are presented in the form of a list of barriers and opportunities in relation to an instrument quadrant. The findings support the philosophy behind the quadrant: that more than one quadrant results in effective steering. Therefore, the general conclusion on how to better facilitate CPC projects is: to make use of multiple governance and maximize the soft steering aspects. The opportunities that are identified can help (radical, or soft) to better facilitate CPC projects.

As part of the larger urban context, informal settlements belong to the realm of formal urban governance while simultaneously possessing governance systems of their own. In the Mexican context, a shift in urban governance has facilitated elements of a networks approach, which places community participation as central to upgrading interventions, to coexist with a historically dominant hierarchical approach. Community participation involves dwellers in the process and is a means for community empowerment, but its validity is put into question as expert-driven and technocratic approaches persist. Therefore, informal settlement upgrading finds itself at a crossroads at which the formal and informal governance systems and hierarchical and networks governance approaches converge. This thesis focuses on identifying factors of government-led upgrading programmes that enable community participation to promote a process of empowerment; taking the Campana-Altamira Initiative in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon as a case study. In this research, community participation covers a broad range of activities and is seen as a means for community empowerment, defined as the ability to gain access to resources, democratically participate and gain a critical awareness of reality. The methodology used to conduct the research was a literature review, followed by empirical research focusing on the Contextual, Socio-Spatial, Planning, and Stakeholder dimensions. The data was collected through document analysis of socio-urban diagnostics and planning instruments of the case study, as well as interviews and focus groups with public, private, civil society, and expert groups. Through the review of planning documents, analysis of stakeholder relations, and power dynamics, seven factors are identified and presented, namely the Planning Process and Policy, Transparency and Reliability, Networks and Support, Leadership, Stakeholder Collaboration, Community Collectivity, and Contextual Implications. In addition, contributions of this research, recommendation for further research, and a reflection on the topic and process are presented.

Urban renewal is seen as an opportunity to improve the environmental and socio-economic performance of cities. Yet, it appears hard to tackle the social challenges by a focus on spatial interventions only. A more participating society and more user involvement could help to improve the social environment. Dutch urban area development, such as urban renewal, is becoming more private-led, while the government is trying to shift responsibilities. The Environment and Planning Act is a tool to ensure the involvement of users during private-led developments. In theory, an involvement process can contribute to the objectives of the most important stakeholders in urban renewal projects: the government, users and private developers. Since these potentials in practice are often not achieved, literature advises to involve users early and intensively in the development process and to develop with flexibility along the process. However, for each project, boundaries limit the development options for a private developer and therefore, as well the options to involve users. It seems that private developers do not have enough room for involvement to align the involvement process with the objectives of the three stakeholders. This study explores that hypothesis. Considering the perspective of the private developer, the main question of this research is: to what extent do the development boundaries leave enough room for private developers to align user involvement with the objectives of users, the municipality and the developer themselves? The research is conducted through a case study analysis of three private-led urban renewal projects in which users were involved. Developers, municipal officials and users were interviewed to gain insights. The analyses show how development boundaries are defined, what room is left for user involvement and how the involvement process aligns with the objectives of the three parties. By considering the developers perspective, it is explored why the current involvement processes are not reaching their full potential as described in theory. This study shows that full alignment is difficult due to conflicting demands. Municipal broader, cross border objectives often conflict with those of the local users. It appears that the boundaries defined by the municipality are quite fixed, while those of the developers are flexible. This flexibility could be used when there is a lack of support for the plans. Since full alignment seems impossible, a second interview round provides insights into what extend of alignment would be important for private developers to aim for. For developers, long term business continuity and a positive corporate image are important to ensure profit gaining in the future. For them, this is more important than profit gaining in the short term. Flexibility can be found in the development boundaries when these long term objectives seem to be threatened. Game theory, approaching user involvement as a negotiation process and integral development offer opportunities for private developers to improve the alignment of everyone’s objectives with user involvement without having to adjust their development boundaries, unplanned. This will need to be further explored in new research. The insights from this study provide knowledge about the relation between the important stakeholders in urban renewal projects and how they influence a user involvement process. This new knowledge can help to reach more potentials of user involvement in practice.

Urban regeneration has been subject of a changing environment in which increased participation of different sectors of society play a key role. The shift in power and governance structures has put participation in the centre stage, as a key factor to achieve social and economic sustainability in this kind of projects. A response to this challenge is given by the implementation of collaborative planning and network theories. This thesis is focused on the application of these mechanisms in practice, using a case study as an example of the possibilities and limitations of collaborative approaches. By studying the actor relations within the Fenicia Triangle project, a set of conclusions on the applicability of the instruments and the influence of the context is provided. Finally, a set of recommendations for the practice is presented.

As part of my graduation within Architecture, Explore Lab, I want to develop a method to help future residents and other involved parties of a collaborative housing group, to compile a clear and plenary design brief in order to create a coherent architectural design. After developing and applying this method I will redesign a former school building into a collaborative home. Setting up a design brief is mostly neglected in collaborative projects. Often, future residents discuss their demands, wishes and ideas only amongst themselves during informal gatherings, even though this is an important factor in the eventual designing of their space. In my master thesis, I want to develop a method to help future residents and other involved parties of a collaborative housing group, to create a clear and plenary design brief. By applying this method to develop the design brief, I will gain knowledge on the demands and wishes of future cohousing residents and supply further knowledge on the spatial and social dimensions of collaborative housing. After this I will implement the results of the research and method into a design project. With these results, I will start the design of a fictional collaborative housing project.

Top-down solutions toward Incremental Housing have been criticized because the government has imposed unrealistic and unaffordable standards. On a bottom-up approach, Social Enterprises have been recognized for their contribution to global challenges by implementing service and product innovation and their intermediary role in the processes related to the Built Environment. Theory on Incremental Housing (i.e., process, elements) and Social Enterprises (i.e., characteristics of the organization, intermediary roles) are used to identify three types of Social Enterprises and their contributions to Incremental Housing. A typology was constructed from a cross-case study of 6 cases to answer the following research question: To what extent does the type of Social Enterprise and deployed Roles contribute to Incremental Housing? Firstly, type A: technical-led is a socially driven organization adopting roles as an implementer, emphasizing design and material solutions. Their intervention is sporadic, facing challenges such as a limited network, resources, and motivation to achieve goals. Secondly, type B: community-led, is a socially driven organization adapting roles as a catalyst and partner, focusing on the bottom-up process of self-organization and building social networks on a local scale. Barriers faced by this actor are; the lengthy decision-making process among groups and the minor involvement of the users. Thirdly, type C: project management-led; adopting roles as catalysis, implementer, and partner, has an extensive network with strategic allies. Barriers faced are limited access to the best talent and actors not having a shared vision towards Incremental Housing. Shedding light on these organizations aims to attract the attention of policymakers towards these actors to propel their practice and inspire new ventures towards assisting the Incremental Housing process.

The COVID-19 pandemic's onset was a critical change for employees all over the world. Many aspects of how they operated, including their working atmosphere, underwent a revolution as a result. As a result, there has been a shift in the nature of “work”. Work is now something you do, not a place you go. It can be done anywhere. Since it is now more normal to be flexible regarding time and location, there are now more working styles than ever. Organisations are getting more involved with changing the workplace to employees' needs and demands to ensure that their real estate continues to meet corporate goals. Since employees are an organisation's most valuable asset, designing and maintaining the physical, virtual, and social workplace to adhere to productivity and employee satisfaction is now crucial for organisations looking to achieve a competitive advantage. This forces organisations to be more accountable, and inclusive, and better integrate stakeholders into their decision-making processes, particularly by paying attention to input and foreseeing expectations from stakeholders. Participation in spatial planning is becoming more widely recognised as a valuable method of gain access to community skills and local knowledge as well as including residents in conversations about place. A strategy that promotes user participation is placemaking. The strategy is born out of the ethical insertion of a specifically designed space into existing settings, opening a platform for dialogue about public places among the many involved stakeholders. This study explores the use of placemaking as a new approach in corporate real estate to transition towards the workplace of the future. Placemaking, or the practice of inspiring people to collectively reimagine and reinvent spaces at the heart of every community, can play a significant role in creating a workspace that is conducive to productivity, collaboration, and innovation. The study combines expert knowledge with case studies from the Dutch real estate market to answer the main research question: How can placemaking help the transition to a future workplace? The characteristics of placemaking are used in four phases of the transition towards a future workplace. Overall, this study provides valuable insights for companies seeking to create adaptable and innovative workspaces that meet the needs of their employees and organization.

The Dutch housing sector is overheating, leaving mid-income earners stuck in the major Dutch cities' expensive rental sector. As a reaction to this, community land trusts (CLT) are sprouting in different European countries. The CLT presents a model which nullifies speculation, empowers the community and guarantees affordable ownership. In the Netherlands, this model could prove to ensure these three aspects as well. This research answers the question: What are the opportunities for CLT's in the Dutch housing market, and how can these be mobilized? This research includes a literary comparison between the support mechanisms, for CLTs in Europe, and the support mechanisms for housing models in the Netherlands. The comparison shows which mechanisms could contribute to the creation of a CLT. The mechanisms identified revolved around finance, land acquisition and organizational aspects. In the Netherlands, these mechanisms are mainly provided by the public sector and housing associations (HA), with some minor mechanisms coming from the private market. After that, a qualitative research also identifies opportunities and barriers in the Dutch housing market. The qualitative research includes 19 in-depth interviews with housing experts from different sectors. The opportunities include a list of similar mechanisms in Europe and the Dutch context. The main opportunities for the creation of CLTs lie in support from the public sector and the HAs. Recommendations on how to overcome barriers are presented. After that, a range of scenarios that show how the public parties, HAs and banks can contribute to the creation of CLTS, the necessary recommendations to do so.

The middle-income households in the Netherlands are currently disadvantaged in finding affordable housing, as they are pushed towards the private rental market in which affordable private rental housing is scarce. Together with participation trends, this gives opportunities for collective private commissioning (CPC) to add to the supply and make it more inclusive and stable, as different interests could come together and the housing is expected to stay affordable. Therefore, this study entails an explorative research into the possibilities of CPC and affordable private rental housing, focussing on the type of collaboration, the enablers and barriers in the collaborative process and the role division within the collaboration. A single case study of CPC for middle-segment owner-occupied housing was conducted, supplemented with a cross-sectional study, with interviewees currently involved in CPC for affordable private rental housing. The main findings show that the type of collaboration can be considered hybrid, as it can act in a commercial market while maintaining its social goal and it has a collaborative and innovative approach. Important enablers and barriers towards collaboration are in the initial phases of such a project, where expertise and political influence are crucial. During collaboration, a board providing connecting leadership, acknowledging power differences, trust and striving for a win-win situation by serving both social and commercial interests encourage collaboration. However, difficulties in the complex financial situation of such a development can cause barriers. Important roles for this type of development are defined as process responsible and executive, in order to guide the process. An enabler within the role division is making clear agreements at the beginning. Besides the previous implications, the role of the residents seems moderated compared to other forms of CPC, as they will only be in charge after the housing is realised. Implications for practice can be found and this type of development is considered to be an option, as the findings show that with the right conditions, this type of development can contribute to the supply of affordable private rental housing in the long-term.

The Netherlands faces the challenge of a rapidly ageing population, which demands more diverse housing concepts for seniors. Collaborative housing (CH) concepts are a promising solution to promote contact and mutual support, counteract loneliness, and reduce public health expenses. Professional-led CH concepts is an emerging phenomenon that could allow a faster and more accessible supply of senior dwellings than resident-led projects. However, little is known about the perceived value of use by the residents. This study raises the question: How do professional collaborative housing concepts for seniors satisfy the end user's demand? CH concepts for seniors are defined as a differentiated housing solution that focuses on promoting togetherness, provide at least one shared space, and targets the over-55s. Three professional-led CH projects are in-depth by performing mixed-method research. A thorough analysis of the cases showed that most respondents experienced benefits compared to their former dwelling, like more contact with neighbours, live with like-minded people and enjoy life more. Two types of initiators can be distinguished. The commercial-oriented initiators are the most skilled in a lean and mean development process. They deliver dwellings with high use value by emphasising smart technology and communality as an outsourced service for the resident. The ethos-oriented initiators use a custom-fit approach to assemble a motivated group of residents that form a strong foundation based on shared social values. In this development process, the communal organisation is led by the residents, in which social values could thrive. This study shows that the professionalisation of CH for seniors is promising when the initiators stay close to the end-users' needs, which asks for design disruption. However, caution is necessary because commercialising communality can cause residents' responsibility towards each other to disappear. Cases showed how financial objectives could clash with the three fundaments of CH by 1) as additional selection for an intentional community raises vacancy risk; 2) allowing for user involvement in the design and maintenance asks for intensive guidance and; 3) legal, financial and organisational challenges in delivering a common area causes extra effort and time. Caution is needed for the commercialisation of communality, as responsibility towards each other disappears, diffusing both the concepts and the communal benefits. CH concepts will have little chance without additional organisational and financial support in a scarce housing market ruled by financial interests. Governments and societal initiatives can play an important role in shifting the boundary to demand-driven developments, looking beyond profit and risk minimisation.

The Community Land Trust (CLT) model is regarded by some as a possible solution to the current issues that European housing markets are facing, such as unaffordability and segregation. As this model is able to provide perpetual affordable housing through collaboration between local residents, local authorities and civil experts, the statement could be made that this model develops and maintains housing that is centred around place community to a neighbourhood. This has brought up the idea that CLT might be able to booster social sustainability within this local context. However, the overall concept of social sustainability and the overall impact of the CLT model on social sustainability has both ben limitedly researched. Therefore, the aim of this study is to research the impact of the presence of a CLT on the social sustainability of a neighbourhood by answering the following main research question: How does a CLT impact the social sustainability of a neighbourhood? To answer this question, an operationalisation method based on the innovative Capabilities Approach has been constructed. This operationalisation tool was then deployed to gather information on the impact from a theoretical perspective through a literature review, from an organisational perspective through an expert panel with organisations from the European CLT network, and lastly from the residents’ perspective through a single-case study of a representative case for the classic CLT model. Based on the theoretical and organisational perspectives, the conclusions were drawn that the CLT model has the potential to positively impact most if not all social sustainability capabilities, meaning that the CLT model is able to increase these capabilities for the residents of the CLT. This positive impact, although not as extensive, has also been observed in practice. From the residents’ perspective it was gathered that the CLT model could positively influence the capabilities that have to do with the indicators of accessibility, housing, knowledge & skills, social network & interaction, safety & security, and sense of place, together with participation & democracy. The model is able to do so through implementing frameworks and resources, that could influence social and environmental conversion factors for the better. To be able to provide these frameworks and resources, however, the CLT organisation also needs to have the capability to do so through resources. However, there are limitations to the generalisability of the research findings. This study forms the beginning of a theory on the impact of the CLT model on social sustainability on a neighbourhood level, and further in-depth research is therefore the primary recommendation for future research.

In a large part of the Netherlands, middle-income households fall into the gap between the social housing sector and the market sector. Also, the supply in middle-income dwellings is too small. Municipalities face challenges in unwanted changes in the population of the city because different groups are having problems fulfilling their housing needs. In particular, lower- and middle-income groups are affected by the limited supply of housing suitable for their means. Also, as a result of national economizing, an increasing amount of elderly lives for a longer time at their own home, instead of in a healthcare institution, despite the fact they need a form of (mild) care. This group has a higher risk of the consequences of feeling lonely as well since a large part of this group lives alone. Different shared living concepts could contribute to partly solving the problems municipalities are facing. Rental- or buying prices could be lower, because of new business cases, the sharing of facilities and possibly square meters. Next to this, important social networks could be set up, which leads to differentiation and better social cohesion in a city. There are several initiatives for shared living projects, but despite mentioning the willingness to facilitate new forms of living and organizing this by some municipalities in their housing visions, different bottlenecks are making the realization of the projects difficult. One form of shared living, which is upcoming again, and can realize projects offering houses with a rent in the social and middle segment in a city, is the housing cooperative. This research will map the bottlenecks and potential solutions for these bottlenecks, in the process of realizing a housing cooperative, in cities in the Netherlands.

The current research is part of a trans-disciplinary discussion on the long-lasting impact of the acoustic environment on cognitive performance, literacy and auditory perception for preschool children, aiming to underlie the increasing necessity to perfectly tune every-day facilities such as schools and work spaces, rather than only performance auditoriums. The main focus is placed on improving speech intelligibility, which is the task of recognizing the message from the din, by evaluating the speech-in-noise perception. The research is based on a promising hypothesis that hybrid devices should allow for low-frequency absorption and high-frequency diffusion which correspond to certain properties of vowels and consonants respectively. Given the transition to the modern aesthetics of the flat wall, compared to the inherent complexity of surface ornamentation in the past, there is a growing demand to provide acoustic solutions that allow for a higher level of complexity towards an improved acoustic environment. The effect of periodicity on a uniform scattered distribution is investigated by examining different geometrical patterns, aiming to convert traditional materials into sound controlling devices. Customized and mass-produced versions are developed,arguing whether a lower level of complexity can meet the same goals if certain low-level rules with high level of self-organization are applied, introducing the idea of simplicity and architectural smartness by preserving the economy of means for the end users. Last but not least, since speech transmission is related to spatial context and surface properties, both the macro-scale and micro-scale are examined. The study envisions an open-source toolbox for designers for generating design alternatives providing a deeper understanding on how periodicity affects the acoustics of a given space. Since periodic surfaces reduce the complexity of the reflected sound field, designers are encouraged to focus on a-periodic patterns aiming for a non-repetitive sequence via the geometry articulation.Further it suggests the manipulation of certain parameters, such as period,depth-to-width ratio and well width, towards an integrated workflow to achieve an optimized acoustic design. These alternatives can then be used as input fora software similar to Pachyderm Acoustics plug-in for Grasshopper, in order to get a glimpse which of those showcase a high scattering performance within the relevant frequency range. This should for no reason substitute the necessity for a thorough acoustical study as a next step but would however, involve designers more actively in the initial process of form-finding, while gaining awareness of the impact of their design choices on the acoustic environment.

The worldwide urbanization is resulting in increasingly densified urban areas, aiming for the development of more space efficient cities. The increase of urban inhabitants, also in the Netherlands, has put vast pressure on the demand of housing in the city. Mainly affected by the Dutch housing crisis are young and elderly people looking for mid-segment rental housing, of which the availability of affordable housing is problematic. Simultaneously, Dutch demographics are changing wherein an extensive increase of one-person households is expected. With a traditional housing stock serving mainly one-family households, the vast shortages and the increasing demand, this future mismatch on the housing market frames the current issue. With the emergence of a new economic landscape, the sharing economy provides new insights in possible solutions for the housing crisis: the concept of shared housing of which commercial co-living. This raises the question what this concept comprises of and how the characteristics of this concept can influence upon the affordability of housing and perhaps stimulate developers by providing a profitable development and operation. Through the diminishing of private space but addition of larger communal areas, the concept of co-living can decrease rental costs but increase number of units, possibly serving the user-affordability and developers-profitability. Through research into the concept of co-living, a thorough analysis of state-of-the-art examples and subsequently framing the characteristics of co-living. An analysis upon the level of influence of these characteristics in regards of the users-affordability and developers-profitability, give an initial insight in the economic opportunities of co-living on the commercial housing market.