In the face of increasing uncertainties and heightened frequency and intensity of natural disasters, questions arise on how societies can enhance their ability to adapt and transform both behaviourally and structurally to increase disaster resilience. Current risk management approaches fail to address the evolving nature of risk and tend to overlook how processes of urbanisation and landscape transformation actively contribute to its accumulation.

The rapid urbanisation patterns in the Mediterranean coastal zones and the dispersed territories with conflicting land-uses that they formed are examples of how mismanagement of land alter environmental conditions and structure peri-urban systems that contribute to the evolution of risk. Their organisation predominantly through conflicting land-uses poses a challenge on convergence of actors and taking transformative actions that could reorganise territories to align better with natural processes and mitigate disaster risk.

This research aims to introduce process-based risk in spatial planning and design and to investigate how they can influence local practices and acts of care in peri-urban coastal Mediterranean zones to build transformative capacity, promote convergence and reorganise territories for disaster-resilient futures. It proposes a framework to develop new values in local decision-making and governance recommendations to enable local communities to become the agents of change by fostering attentive land management and coordinating across catchments.

The thesis conducts a literature review, defining the role of evolutionary resilience in the process of risk mitigation, and a history informed analysis in the case study of Marathon to identify how risk evolves in the territory. A reinterpretation of the territory through risk-based values is suggested and provides strategic directions for employing attentive land management and design principles. Through projective design explorations the thesis reimagines actor interrelations in peri-urban territories to establish alignment between natural and societal systems and sets conditions for the region to address in its development strategies in order to build transformative capacity and mitigate risk.

The thesis provides an alternative narrative in the role of local communities and the support provided by the region in risk mitigation strategies. Focusing on land management and actor interrelations, while adopting a long-term perspective, it raises questions on how multi-level governance and interdisciplinary planning, research and design can contribute to shaping disaster-resilience.

As one of the most open and economically vibrant regions in China, the Greater Bay Area plays a significant strategic role in the country’s overall development, showcasing the power of urban transformation within a diverse and sociopolitically rich region. Since China’s economic reform in 1978, mega projects and world-leading developments in the region have driven rapid urbanization. Despite these achievements, rapid globalization has led to negative effects on ecology and pollution in the GBA. When paired with climate change and deltaic conditions, these issues create “double-negative” effects on various layers.

Using the concept of “state entrepreneurialism” as a starting point, this project explores the role of urban mega developments in realizing the state’s strategic and political objectives. It critiques the existing top-down, marketdriven
governance model and advocates for a paradigm shift towards localized planning approaches. These dynamics create tensions in soft locations, areas in transition which are susceptible to change and speculation.

This report outlines the shift from using megaprojects as catalysts for urban development to a more holistic framework. This new approach frames “megascapes” of place-bound strategic interventions that foster complementary relations and shifts focus from big urban cores to their surrounding territories. We define megascapes as self-directed territories consisting of functional conglomerations that respond to local sensitivities and transformations, proposing a future where soft peripheral territories are integrated into the GBA’s broader regionalization model. This vision emphasizes adaptable, place-bound development and enhanced relations between ecological and economic systems to foster sustainable urban growth.

The Nitrogen Crisis has become a focal point for the global community, with the related European policy stirring uncertainty in the agricultural sector. This political unrest has been clearly manifested in the Netherlands, while natural areas remain exposed to high emission levels. Society calls for systematic solutions to the nitrogen issue that conserve the existence of farmers, the preservation of nature and the national economy.

This report focuses on the agricultural sector, as it accounts for 52 per cent of emissions (RIVM, 2022). We investigate opportunities to mitigate NH4 and NO3 surplus in soil caused by current agricultural practices and we spatially explore a systemic approach to cut emissions caused by livestock farms and inefficient use of fertilizers within field crop farming in the Eurodelta region.

Through document review and archival research, followed by spatial analysis and mapping, we investigate what changes in agricultural practice can restore balance in the nitrogen cycle. A vision for the Netherlands’ primary agricultural production future is formulated. This vision focuses on sustainable land use, alongside nature protection, research development and community engagement. We elaborate on this through a spatial
strategy, which concentrates on five strategic projects used to assess the interventions on-site and demonstrate their potential to all stakeholders.

Our proposal involves the recognition of natural protection zones in areas where agriculture borders natural habitats. Actions and policies are suggested to facilitate land conversions and support the farmers in this transition. Furthermore, we propose a network of living labs and community centres aimed at applying sustainable farming methods and connecting the city and agriculture.

We conclude that to prevent harm to human health and the environment we need to explore ways to combine the farmers’ and the environment’s interests. The systemic approach requires equitable regulations governing permissible emissions for farmers throughout the Netherlands. However, it should allow farmers to autonomously shape emission reduction initiatives locally.