Urban life has become increasingly fast-paced and mentally demanding, intensifying the need for environments that support psychological restoration. While natural environments are widely recognised for their restorative effects, many cities contain overlooked interstitial spaces, informal, fragmented areas shaped by infrastructure and residual planning, that remain underused despite their ecological and experiential potential. In Rotterdam, these interstitial spaces often exist close to everyday urban life but lack visibility, legibility, and intentional engagement.

This thesis explores the relationship between interstitial urban spaces and psychological restoration from a landscape architectural perspective. By drawing on theories from environmental psychology, this research investigates how environmental experience, natural qualities, and spatial characteristics can contribute to restorative experiences. The project focuses on Rotterdam as a case study, examining how interstitial spaces might be revealed, interpreted, and thoughtfully engaged with through design.

Rather than aiming to fully transform these spaces, the research seeks to understand how their existing qualities can be acknowledged and expressed, and how landscape architectural design can support psychological restoration while respecting their informal and ecological character. In doing so, the thesis positions interstitial spaces as a meaningful component of the urban landscape and as a potential network of restorative environments.