This graduation thesis is focused on rapid urban growth faced by the town of Taman Melawati, Malaysia. The result of which is leading to the phenomena of fragmentation negatively impacting the urban environment such as congestion, sprawl, functional and demographic segregation. Through a design intervention, this thesis aims to propose a retrofitting of the existing urban structure to create a better connection for the existing residents and to reintegrate the structure of the town to become more cohesive.

Contemporary cities typically employ a linear metabolic model which relies on peripheral areas to support their growth and operation, often externalising waste and degradation to economically and ecologically vulnerable areas. Posing the hypothetical question, ‘What if the existing metabolic processes of extraction, production and disposal in Madrid’s periphery could be rethought, and a socially, economically and ecologically productive process could be instated for peripheral communities?’, this paper constructs a theoretical framework with which to understand systems of waste and inequality embedded in the city’s growth and operation, and analyses the historical patterns of growth which proliferated them. Following this understanding, contemporary problematic symptoms emerging from these patterns are identified, and a set of good practices is compiled which may effectively address them. This project takes a critical stance on the tabula rasa form of urban redevelopment commonly employed in Madrid and posits that an alternative model of urban development should be estalished, one which embraces plurality and uses existing built fabric and social, ecological and economic processes as a starting point

This thesis investigates how hybrid public spaces can serve as contemporary third places to foster social engagement among young adults in suburban and peri-urban contexts. In response to increasing social isolation and the erosion of informal meeting spaces, the study proposes an integrated design strategy that blurs the boundaries between first, second, and third places. Grounded in theories of place, publicness, and multifunctional landscapes, the project reimagines a polder landscape between Rotterdam and Berkel en Rodenrijs as a “Gathering Commons”; a spatial framework that accommodates recreation, remote work, and community life. The design draws from landscape typologies, historical land-use patterns, and contemporary social needs to generate a layered public realm that remains active throughout the day. Through spatial synthesis and pattern-based analysis, the thesis demonstrates how the hybridization of program and form can create inclusive environments while acknowledging potential challenges in governance, safety, and stewardship. The project offers a replicable model for enhancing social cohesion and spatial quality in the transitional zones of modern metropolitan regions.

Placemaking is currently a popular concept to implement for the revitalisation of urban areas, often connected to achieving various social goals in neighbourhoods. However, while the concept of placemaking has been in use for some decades, still a lot of confusion exists concerning the specifications of placemaking. This thesis analyses how participatory placemaking in public spaces is defined according to scientific studies regarding developed economic regions, to find out if multiple diverging concepts of participatory placemaking co-exist, muddying the term, or if only slight deviations in terminology exist. The research method consists of a semi-systematic literature review to map all the different ways participatory placemaking occurs in recent scientific material. The concepts of placemaking distilled from this literature review are validated by a focus group. With their feedback then being used to reflect on the findings from the literature review and fine-tune them. This resulted in the identification of five placemaking concepts: ‘Humanistic placemaking’, ‘Organic, aggregate over time placemaking’, ‘Creative placemaking’, ‘Strategic placemaking’, and ‘Tourism, economic placemaking’, along with their specific characteristics, that will help clear up future conversations regarding participatory placemaking among professionals. With multiple distinct placemaking concepts having been identified throughout this research, which are quite evenly represented in the literature about placemaking, it is even more clear that actors discussing placemaking together have a high chance of misunderstanding each other.

Challenging a predominant focus in academia on studying societal and spatial challenges primarily in the Global South or non-Western environments, this project investigates the urban fabric and hidden socio-political mechanisms of precarity in the city of Munich, Germany. Houselessness appears as the manifestation of a global housing crisis and is with its implications exclusive to the neoliberal city. Within the context of housing distribution and provision, the neoliberal housing market's association of performance with ownership implies a necessary exclusion based on financial capacity. Accepting that the scope of this reality lies outside of the discipline of architecture, shifted the focus on an analysis of the city through the lens of the guiding motif of urban displacement. The aim was to find out how the city defines spaces for public use, what mechanisms are at work in terms of inclusion and exclusion of certain groups of people, and which spaces are essential - but missing.

The visibly precarious conditions of public living imply that public space is not a place meant for all functions. Theories on human motivation suggest that basic human needs are not linked to spaces per se but to an action rendered possible by the protective frame of the built environment. Thus, the project explores the potential outcomes of reimagining domestic patterns outside the confines of conventional residential units. Through ethnographic fieldwork paired with experiments on filmmaking as an architectural method of analysis, a human-centred design evolved that aims at transforming "street dwelling" into a tangible and viable alternative to conventional urban living.

The design endeavours to embed a system for both residential and commercial use within the existing urban reality of Munich. Building on current and necessary transformation processes of the urban fabric, the redevelopment of an exemplary streetscape of the Baaderstraße in Munich houses different acts and scales of appropriation in a design frame that works at various temporalities. The first and most permanent intervention docks on the cities' above- and below-ground infrastructure. On top of it, units are placed that in their design adapt in shape, size, and functions to the local ground-floor conditions. Different lifetimes are included in the temporalities of the site by designing the initial unit for a possible future disassembly. The modularity of the prefabricated wooden construction and sanitary units also allow for a possible scalability to other streets.

Highlighting a necessary shift of the role of the architect to a mediator between the user and the corporate client, the project presents a compromise at the intersection of realism and utopia, offering new dimensions to concepts of urban, communal, and private notions of comfort and emphasizing the importance of inclusive spaces and innovative approaches to address the housing crisis in Western cities.

Coinciding with the decline of post-war neighborhoods and the housing shortage in the Netherlands the trend towards individualism and one-person households has emerged since the 1950s. This report investigates the densification and reinvigoration strategies
of these post-war neighborhoods by using co-housing as a strategy. In the past co-hous- ing has been tried as a solution for social injustice and vulnerable groups within a society.
To develop these strategies, case studies of postwar renovation projects have been analyzed as well as co-housing spatial principles and fundamentals to combine into a design strategy for the renovation plan of IJssel- monde. The results are a design approach
for densification of a postwar neighborhood that takes into account the current resi-
dents while providing suitable housing for new residents and connecting them through co-housing.

Preventive measures for a healthy population are becoming a trending topic in the Netherlands because of rising costs of care and an increasing population of elderly. Due to this, prevention methods in the built environment can help with minimising this problem. Urban area developments are ways for improving or developing new built environments. Health will need to become part of these developments. To research this, the following question was answered: ‘’How can actors involved in urban area (re)developments in the Netherlands realise healthy urban areas?’’ The research was conducted using mixed methods of literature study, questionnaires and case studies. What was found is that actors need to collaborate following the rules of collaborative governance. Many challenges are seen such as ambiguous definitions and difficulties with monitoring. However, recommendations are found. These are: extended front-end work; digital twinning; involving medical actors; assigning an ambassador of health; introducing an after-delivery team for health; collaborating with knowledge institutes; monitoring on city level and introducing a database; investing increased returns in health interventions; clear norms set by the state; and a communal knowledge of health. These can help future healthy developments to be realised.

By bringing landscapes inside, this project is opening up nature to the people of Berlin, with a multi climate approach in the city. This prototype for condensed public green, is the starting point for creating a new modular building type with integrated urban gardening. Other Berlin neighbourhoods already have temporary communal gardens and commons as a central meeting place. With a permanent building as a centre, a neighbourhood garden’s position can be guaranteed for a long period of time.
In this indoor green condenser a combination of multiple green related functions and gardens can be enjoyed all year round. To make that possible, the site gets divided into acres through a grid of 10m by 10m. This grid is both suitable for landscape architecture as for open plan buildings with a column-structure. Every segment of the grid is then programmed with building functions or as part of the landscape around those functions. To every function one or more indoor green typologies are applied. These are then modified to fit in the grid. That way a patchwork of gardens and modules starts to take shape.
A great variety of landscaping and functions will give the users an experience that exceeds the lack of green in the city. The components of this prototype can be applied to a location where there is active demand for an expansion and condensation of greenspace in densifying cities, specifically in post-war neighbourhoods. It can be tailored to the proportions and the climate zones of the locations where the concept is applied. Thereby, Landscape Inside outlines an answer to the reality we all face in the unstoppable urbanisation of the future.

The global population is growing rapidly, so the construction sector must keep up by increasing the number of houses and improving the infrastructure. The construction sector is importance to support economic growth and social development within society. However, the conflict that arises here is that the activities of the construction sector are also responsible for a tremendous amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This makes the construction sector a key player in the fight against global warming and its consequences. The construction sector can help reduce its emissions and slow down global warming by constructing more sustainable. Sustainable construction minimises the impact on the environment and assures safety and comfort while a financial profit is made. However, the most significant barrier to the implementation of sustainable construction is the affordability of sustainable projects. Sustainable construction often results in higher costs than conventional construction methods, which slow down the return on investment for the project owner.

In 2005, the European Union (EU) introduced the emissions trading system (ETS). The ETS is a policy measure aimed to lower the European emissions by letting the polluter pay for its emissions of GHGs. This policy measure could help overcome the barrier of affordability towards implementing sustainable construction. This research aims to find the ETS allowance price tipping point that financially stimulates the use of natural construction materials like timber over conventional materials like steel and concrete. The tipping point results could stimulate the implementation of sustainable construction and help to slow down global warming.

The results show that the allowance price could help lower the barrier of affordability because a higher allowance price increases the market price of carbon-intensive construction materials like steel and concrete. However, the found allowance price tipping point is unlikely to occur based on the current allowance price of around € 85. Therefore, the current ETS can be considered helpful but not decisive towards a financial favourable timber structure for buildings in the Dutch built environment.

The design proposal is situated along the edge of the city of Strasbourg, the design deals with a existing flooding problem in the area that currently limits the development of the area. The building looks at providing a new scenic route that crosses through a multitude of different landscapes and elevations. The elevated walkway is meant to interact and connect with the existing fabric by providing different function on the ground level. The top level contains the main route that connects the entirety of the location while also withstanding the flooding. Hence providing a raised infrastructure that remains functional even when the area is flooded.