The Surma River in Bangladesh sustains the livelihoods of millions residing along its banks and serves as a vital resource for activities such as fishing and bathing. Since the water quality of the river is negatively impacted by multiple factors including waste disposal, these practices are not safe for people to continue.
Seeing as the Tanguar Haor sits in the floodplain of the Surma river and, the river is polluted with waste and plastic from cities and villages along the riverbanks, the trash that is discarded into the Surma can eventually end up in the Tanguar Haor and pollute the water and soil.
The Tanguar Haor is a wetland located in the Sunamganj district, west of Sylhet, and is very low lying land. Due to the low lying nature of the haor it is inundated for around 7 to 8 months a year. It is highly affected by rainfall and floods since it lies at the foot of the Meghalaya mountains. When heavy rains occur upstream or in the catchment areas of these rivers, the water flows downstream into the delta, causing rivers to overflow their banks.
The land’s lack of elevation makes it difficult for floodwaters to recede quickly, leading to prolonged inundation.

This graduation project tackles living in the ever changing wetlands of Bangladesh. A project about flood resilience and circularity and the intersectionality of several problems they face: lack of sanitation, waste and water pollution and frequent flooding.
The design proposal takes the strengths of the current settlement and way of living and turns them into a more liveable, circular and flood resilient village. ... Read more

This thesis investigates the relationship between displacement and Rotterdam’s housing policies, focusing on their social mixing strategy, which has been integral to the city’s redevelopment of vulnerable neighborhoods. Through the lens of spatial justice, it addresses past displacement issues and evaluates the effectiveness of the new Housing Vision (2023) in counteracting these issues, amidst increasing national housing challenges. The primary aim is to provide practical and actionable design tools that can limit displacement in future redevelopment.

The research seeks to answer: How can Rotterdam’s new housing policy integrate spatial guidelines to address displacement more effectively in the future redevelopment of vulnerable neighborhoods?

Key findings indicate that government-enforced changes in the housing stock and social composition, central to the social mixing strategy, are primary drivers of displacement. Comparing these (direct, financial, social, and cultural) displacement issues to the new policy direction reveals that displacement is a persistent risk, as the new policy pressures the universal right to housing, includes a social mixing strategy that is unjust and insufficiently grounded in research, and lacks opportunities for a localized approach. In response, this thesis proposes objectives to ensure the provision of sufficient housing, develop a fair and inclusive social mixing strategy, and encourage policy adaptability based on local characteristics. Each objective has corresponding spatial guidelines, implemented in the Tweebosbuurt, illustrating how this strategy can help achieve Rotterdam’s broader development goals while mitigating displacement.

Policymakers can utilize these insights to revisit and adapt the new housing policy objectives. Moreover, the design guidelines developed through this study can assist urban planners and architects in structuring developments in a way that minimizes displacement, and ultimately, contribute to a more equitable and socially just resolution to Rotterdam’s housing challenges.
... Read more

Portcities are at the forefront of transitioning towards a green and circular economy (UN 2019). Especially in transforming former port areas, the integration of nature-based solutions(NBS) is crucial to increase natural capital and support social- and economical ecosystem resilience. This requires further mainstreaming of NBS in urban design and urban planning practices. In this thesis scenario research-by-design methods are used to explore their implications for the Waalhaven. ... Read more

In Friedrichshain, Berlin, modest architecture with minimal interventions is utilized as a thoughtful response to the complex social and economic issues, including gentrification, that characterize the constantly evolving environment. This architectural approach seeks to tackle these challenges by embracing a restrained and humble style, while remaining flexible and responsive to the unique needs and dynamics of the local community it serves. ... Read more

Promoting sustainable travel involves encouraging train travel as a preferred mode of transportation. However, train travel in the Netherlands faces challenges with delays and slow speeds, including the planned Lelyline. This report explores an innovative high-speed train viaduct inspired by Chinese rail construction techniques as an attractive alternative to the Lelyline. By adopting modular
construction and straight alignments, this research aims to create an efficient and
visually captivating transportation solution that respects the cultural landscape. The case study focuses on a straight trajectory across the Flevopolder between Amsterdam South and Zwolle. The viaduct integrates with the landscape, enhancing biodiversity through an ecological corridor in its shadow, benefiting agriculture and the nature network. Additionally, it offers panoramic views,
recreational value, and serves as a marker of historical significance.

This research showcases the potential of a sustainable train landscape that aligns with the Dutch cultural context, providing valuable insights for future transportation projects. ... Read more

The Dutch have complicated relationship with nature, since the land is in a constant battle against flooding. Being successful at conquering nature also showed in the increased urbanisation and management of remaining landscape. Due to globalisation, the impact of daily activities on nature remain distant. The world now has entered a so-called ‘digital era’ where daily activities take place online rather than outside in nature. A ‘shifting baseline’ leads to people caring less for nature protection (Miller, 2005; Pauly, 1995; Karouzos, 2018). In the light of a glooming climate crisis, it is urgent to improve peoples sense of responsibility to not only protect, but to restore the natural balance.

In collaboration with Staatsbosbeheer, this research aims to increase nature experiences in urban territory. A case study is done at three scale levels: Tanthof; a neighbourhood in Delft Zuid, the Abtswoudse Bos; Staatsbosbeheer property, and Midden-Delfland; the cultivated green buffer between Rotterdam and The Hague. Although Tanthof was designed as an eco-neighbourhood with a strong green infrastructure and car-free streets called ‘woonerven’, over the years these streets have become parked car territory. An overall private atmosphere is the result of houses oriented to the backyard and closed off to the streets, making Tanthof a barrier between the citizens of Delft and the adjacent nature areas Abtswoudse Bos and Midden-Delfland. The Abtswoudse Bos fails to function as an urban park, due to a lack of urban program, attractive entrances and the barrier effect of infrastructure. In Midden-Delfland, human interventions serving agricultural practices are causing subsidence of the peatland and lead to fragmentation of the ecological network.

The design attempts to answer the question: ‘How can urban design of the woonerf type in Tanthof contribute to reconnecting people to the natural landscape system of Midden-Delfland, by facilitating meaningful gardens of responsibility?’. Literature research, physical analysis in the form of mapping and site visits, and inspiration found in philosophy, art and poetry, are used to reshape our understanding of the human-nature relationship. Following the theory of Oneness- implicating a mutual relationship between humans and their environment- forms the concept of the Gardens of responsibility. A different mobility strategy is proposed to create community gardens as residential public space. A green route is created from home to Midden-Delfland. Meaning is found in reshaping natural layers of the past in Midden-Delfland and in building a intergenerational community that takes responsibility for caring of their environment. ... Read more

Anthropogenic development is the main actor in the destruction of our planet.
Urbanization, industrialization, and agriculture have been expanding exponentially at a global scale in an attempt to create prosperity and progress. Still, in the process of this never-ending pursuit of betterment for the human race, we are killing native biodiversity and entire ecosystems.
This graduation project in Urbanism and Landscape architecture will portray the current issues resulting from anthropogenic development, taking the Guanajuato, Mx, central region as a case study and reflecting on the challenges, scenarios, and possibilities for the future.
This thesis project aims to reflect and understand the current environmental, ecological, and social issues generated as a result of anthropogenic practices in the central region of Guanajuato, Mexico. Through research and resources such as literature, governmental projections, urban and geomorphological analysis; the thesis gives an understanding of the current conditions of the state of Guanajuato, MX focusing mainly on the central region of the state and in cities of Irapuato, Salamanca and Pueblo Nuevo as well as highlighting the disconnection between the built environment and the native biodiversity and nature.
The urban, industrial, and agricultural expansion in the region has completely neglected the state’s ecological elements and the role they play in our ecological cycles. As of now, the central region has annihilated most of the native biodiversity. The constant exploitation of the soil has resulted in erosion and compaction throughout the region, and the existing aquifers, lakes, ponds, and rivers have been extracted until their last drop.
Therefore, to react to a symbiotic change, the goal is to create a regional proposal that focuses on mitigating ecological and environmental problems in the region as well as enhancing the biodiversity in the landscape and the development of sustainable agriculture that supports native ecosystems as well as integration and balance in the urban areas through the halt of large cities expansions transitioning into a network of ecocities through sustainable compact towns redevelopments.
The aim is to find a regional strategy that enhances the native species through their ecological territory and designs and intervention for towns to develop and grow sustainably by creating a balance between people, animals, and plants. ... Read more

Throughout history, Paris has always been a city of walls. The differences between the wealthy core and the poor periphery are increasing rapidly. The Boulevard Périphérique, Paris’s concrete ring road, is the spatial and symbolic manifestation of the imbalance between the city and periphery. The ring road works as a mobility bottleneck at the regional scale, while locally it strengthens the perception of urban inequality by complicating access to the resources of the city centre. Transforming this infrastructure element does not involve only spatial and functional restructuring, but also interventions at the social and governance level. This research and design project shows how the redevelopment of the Boulevard Périphérique can contribute to transform its spatial, functional, social and symbolic roles, in order to address the socio-spatial inequality challenges in the metropolitan area of Paris. A strategy for the redevelopment of the ring road is proposed, accompanied by spatial interventions and planning guidelines. The main outcomes are a strategic- and spatial framework that function as a toolbox for the redevelopment project. This toolbox consists of three important components: structural conditions, contextual needs and intervention possibilities. ... Read more

The most urgent need for regeneration in the future is a large number of new workers' estates built from the 1950s. The physical and social decay problems of these areas start to become severe in recent years. There has already been some researches and regeneration of the buildings in these areas, but the public space quality is dissatisfied and most anticipated by residents to regeneration. The spatial problems, aging problems, and the ability to adapt climate changes are the most severe challenges of the public space of new workers' estates. The current urban regeneration generates 180 million tons of construction, demolition, and decoration waste (CDDW) per year in Shanghai. Because of the large amount of material flow and the harsh environmental impact, the regeneration mode of new workers' estates should change compared to the current linear construction. This research aims to use circular construction to improve public space quality solving spatial and aging problems in multi scales. Meanwhile, make the regeneration design future adaptive to changes. Through the literature review of the existing circular construction techniques, the methods suitable for applying CDDW to public spaces are selected. In order to meet the three principles of circularity, elderly adaptive and future adaptive at the same time, the toolbox of the modular design was designed. It will be applied to the case site showing as a design framework. In order to implement, systemize, and generalize the circular regeneration, use the collaborative circular construction network. It can be concluded that the CDDW generated during the regeneration of new workers' estate is circularly used to improve the public space quality and make the public space more sustainable and adaptive to future changes in both neighborhood scale and urban scale. ... Read more

Worldwide, more and more actors have started to speak out their belief in a future with three-dimensional mobility as one of the solutions for congesting and polluted cities. Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing vehicles – more popularly referred to as drones – are supposed to relieve the current infrastructure network, mainly roads, and quickly transport cargo and people through the sky to their desired location. This new mode of transportation is also called Urban Air Mobility (UAM). To make UAM a reality, three main components are required: the aircraft and aircrew, the management of the airspace and the integration in the community. Over the last years, the industry has made major steps in the first two aspects. However, the community integration of UAM – which is about infrastructure, social acceptance and regulations, among others – has fallen behind, as cities are barely preparing themselves for this new transportation mode. Still, UAM may become a reality much earlier than those cities may expect. When that happens, cities will have to be prepared for this. It is therefore important to explore what it means and takes when UAM is integrated into a community. It is the latter which forms the fundament for this research. Where the literature extensively discusses the aircraft and airspace integration, a knowledge gap can be identified on the community integration of UAM. For this reason, the main goal for the research was to analyze the required changes in the urban mobility regime, which challenges this will cause and what actions communities can take in preparation for UAM. To contribute to the understanding of the subject and analyze the practical elaboration of UAM Community Integration, the research tried to answer the question how the transition of Urban Air Mobility can be realised in communities, which formed the main research question. To answer the research question, a qualitative approach was chosen, recommended to be used when the investigated phenomenon is new and when the investigator seeks to answer “why” and “how” questions. A combination of different qualitative data gathering methods was adopted: literature reviews and semi-structured interviews. This thesis shows that there is a lot involved in the transition from two-dimensional to three-dimensional urban transport, or Urban Air Mobility. The transition is driven by large-scale developments such as urbanization, mobility growth and climate change, putting pressure on the mobility regime. Besides, there are technological innovations in development, such as battery and communication technologies and automation, which the development of UAM as a new mode of transportation will depend on. In addition, there are internal frictions in the existing mobility system, such as congestion, which require new, sustainable mobility solutions. The comparison between the existing and future mobility regime – the latter including UAM – makes clear that the community integration of UAM requires changes in every single dimension in the mobility regime. This is accompanied by various challenges and requires actions from cities. Major challenges are mainly found within the dimensions of sectoral policy, infrastructure and culture or symbolic meaning. The most important actions that cities can take therefore also address these challenges. For example, there are currently a patchwork of rules that restrict or prohibit the use of drones and thus make UAM virtually impossible. This requires standardization of rules, which above all allow the use of drones, while respecting the social impact that drones can have. Furthermore, there is usually a lack of existing infrastructure, which means that new infrastructure must be developed. However, the limited space, suitability of existing buildings, financial feasibility and social value of UAM are some important factors that make infrastructure development within urban centers a challenging task. Cities will have to identify suitable locations for vertiports, taking these types of factors into account. Existing energy capacity can also be an obstacle. Whereas typical passenger vehicle DC fast charging typically ranges from 50kW-350kW, UAM requires charging capacities of up to 600 kW. To provide this, cities may have to make adjustments to their existing energy network. Finally, UAM will likely have a significant social impact in terms of noise, horizon pollution, privacy, safety and price,. The risk of social resistance is therefore high. It is important that cities anticipate this by, among other things, informing and educating the community about UAM, carrying out pilot projects and drawing up social guidelines. Other actions that cities can take to prepare for UAM include the exploration of potential user practices and the definition and division of stakeholder roles, among others. To conclude, the realization of UAM in communities is only in its infancy and involves an extensive process of (interdependent) developments and actions. Once the variety of niche-innovations have developed into a more mature state – which can still take several years –, UAM will be able to start its breakthrough into the urban mobility regime. This transition requires changes in all regime dimensions. The integration in the community will have impact in different ways, of which it is assumed that the spatial, energy and social domains will be impacted most. Challenges rise, mainly with regard to the sectoral policy, infrastructure and culture or symbolic meaning within the mobility regime. In order to realise the transition of UAM in communities, these must be addressed. This thesis proposed some of the more important actions that communities can take for the community integration of UAM. These are outlined in the final roadmap, which should give the final answer on how the transition of UAM can be realized in communities. The research recommends cities to take up the identified actions for UAM community integration. They provide an insight into what needs to be done to enable the community integration of UAM. This research has taken a first, exploratory step in the right direction, but the identified actions - logically - have no outcome yet. Further research into these actions is therefore required. Cities are therefore recommended to continue with this, so that they can find an answer to the implicit research questions that lie hidden in these actions. ... Read more