Global material consumption continues to rise, and high-income countries such as the Netherlands play a disproportionate role in this trend. In response, the Dutch government aims to halve the use of primary abiotic resources by 2030 and achieve full circularity by 2050. Yet translating these national ambitions into local infrastructure practice remains a major challenge. Urban road networks, managed largely by municipalities, illustrate this difficulty: they are among the most resource-intensive systems in the built environment and face growing spatial and logistical pressures as circular reuse practices expand.
This thesis examines how Rotterdam’s road renovation practices can enable the systematic reuse of paving materials while managing the resulting spatial demand. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines a material flow analysis of municipal renovation projects with policy analysis, expert interviews, and site visits to reuse facilities. The analysis quantifies circular flows of paving materials, estimates the space required for reuse infrastructure, and identifies bottlenecks in planning and design.
Findings show that Rotterdam’s reuse potential is strongly shaped by the interaction between maintenance cycles and design regulations. Standardisation enables reuse of newer materials but limits the reintegration of older ones, leading to surpluses that require large storage areas. Two distinct forms of reuse infrastructure emerge: compact storage hubs for standardised materials and extensive construction hubs for non-standard materials. Adjustment pathways demonstrate that design flexibility, allowing non-standard materials in less visually sensitive areas, can reduce spatial demand by up to 80%.
The study concludes that circular efficiency in municipal infrastructure depends on aligning physical capacity, adaptive design standards, and institutional coordination. The combined use of material flow and spatial analysis provides a transferable method for other municipalities to anticipate the spatial implications of circular transition in their infrastructure systems.

The Netherlands, renowned for its flat landscape and strategic location at the confluence of major rivers, combined with fertile soil and a mild climate, boasts optimal natural conditions for agricultural production. However, the success of the Dutch agricultural sector and its developments has significant implications for biodiversity, as excessive nitrogen levels contribute to a decline in plant and animal species, ultimately disrupting the ecosystem balance. Currently, functions are separated by human engineered boundaries with little to no interaction with each other. Agriculture is hyper focused on the productive part of the system, lacking equilibrium. Ideally, water, agriculture and soil live in perfect harmony and so envisioned for the year 2070 is a dynamic river landscape in the Dutch Delta region; a landscape where there is room for the water to flow as it pleases. In this vision, a river's natural flow is embraced; free flowing water with little constraints. Instead of seeing this freedom as a problem that must be controlled, this project values the river's morphological changes and water fluctuations through time. This vision and strategy not only makes room for the river, but creates a new dynamic system in which water, biodiversity and agriculture works together. Adjustments are mainly made to the land-uses to correspond to the shifts of the river, using several interventions. A green network of ‘in between’ wetlands is situated within the river basin. This network serves as vital ecosystems that enhance the resilience of the region. These green marshes overflow with biodiversity, serving as havens for formerly threatened animal and plant species alike to thrive and flourish. In this project, we apply strategic tools to three locations with different conditions, such as moderately wet, wet, and extremely wet, acting as pilots to be extended into more parts of the Dutch Delta region in the future. This forward-thinking approach not only ensures the sustainability of agriculture but also fosters a healthier, more diverse environment for generations to come.