Spatial (in)justice is characterised as the geography of social (in)justice. The city is a network of ecologies composed of infrastructure, economic ideologies, and wealth. The inequalities that emerge as a by-product of these systems highlight the injustices in London evolving from social, economic and spatial patterns in the form of gentrification. This research positions the London metropolis as a demonstration of political power structures. Derived as a result of neoliberal policies implemented since the late seventies and thus becoming a driver of social class inequality. The relationship between architecture and socio-spatial conditions will be addressed in this research and effect, an architectural intervention will be proposed as a solution for gentrification.

This research aims to develop en apply a new approach towards dealing with heritage in the built environment. By taking the Royal London Hospital area and the Former Outpatient Department within this domain as a case study, tools to connect to specific layers of the context that were found in the research are implied. This is in contrast to the regular approaches to look at heritage from the object itself. In the end, the building and area are connected through all levels of context to the layers of the palimpsest, which is mostly visible in the interventions in the main atrium and the additional roof structure. The building and area become an integrated part of the urban fabric and in this way their existence is prolonged.

Architectural Design Crossover Graduation Studio final design project. Research paper and graduation design looking into Temporary Intensities and crowd machines in the city of London, resulting in the design of a live music venue with a capacity of 3000 visitors. This design project aims to design this 'crowd machine' as being part of a 'crowd generator' that is located on top of the former Shoreditch Goodsyard.

The emergence of spatial data, GIS-supported tools, web mapping technologies has opened up many applications for more inclusive spatial planning and spatial decision support approaches. Site analysis is strongly supported by spatial data analysis in both 2D and 3D, which offers a more comprehensive understanding of urban settings. Furthermore, 3D city modeling and 3D web technologies not only help visualize design scenarios but also promote communication among the stakeholders for better decision-making. The first version of a GIS-supported design tool for new urban development areas was developed in a previous study (which we refer to in this thesis as the “Buurt Generator”). The tool works with the Netherlands’ data context to assist the realization of the 3D models of urban development projects in an interactive computer environment. The pre-design stage of the tool was based on the semantic 3D city model with different urban KPIs stored in the 3D City Database. Template neighborhoods that match the development goals of the project were then selected to extract design KPIs. The design KPIs, together with the development goals of the sites, form the basis and guidelines for generating different scenarios in the design stage. The scenarios are then integrated back into the 3D city model and visualized in 3D and are disseminated via web platforms. This thesis aims to test, critically review, and propose extensions and improvements for the “Buurt Generator”. It starts with a general review of the tool and literature reviews on related concepts and technologies. Then, the thesis investigates the accuracy of the generated 3D City model in estimating buildings’ volumes. Since volumetric measurements play a critical role in deriving urban KPIs and design KPIs, their accuracy is highly concerned. Hence, a volumetric comparison approach with other existing 3D city models is employed. The second focus is on the expansion of urban KPIs and design KPIs. The work bases on a data-driven approach that considers spatial and non-spatial, volumetric, and non-volumetric urban parameters. Moreover, the thesis proposes a comprehensive understanding of the city context and the project site based on available data. Then, it would be the task of the urban practitioners to reason the design KPIs for the new urban development project. The third focus is to develop a framework to study the impacts of the design solutions on the urban tissue. The framework is developed chiefly based on integrating the design into the 3D city model to perform (spatial) analysis. One of the energy-related criteria – the solar radiation factor - is chosen for further elaboration. The thesis contributes to the further integration of 3D city models into the urban planning process and explores its possibilities in assisting urban practices. It confirms the usability of the generated 3D model in estimating buildings’ volumes. It expands the list of urban KPIs and assists the information query to understand the city context and extract specific information. It bridges 3D City Database and Grasshopper for post-assessment of designs regarding solar radiation and opens the way for other urban simulations.

The graduation project entails a linear megastructure of 1.5km, recycling the city’s landscape of industrial processes that are regarded in this project as cultivated first nature. The project is located on the border of two boroughs; Enfield and Waltham Forest. The megastructure is oriented perpendicular to the barriers that divide the site. The megastructure is divided into three different sectors that will harbor a different variety of programs. These sectors aim to acknowledge the machinic industrial landscapes of the city, which are defined in this project as operational ecologies. The sectors will interact locally along the linear structure with surrounding processes to upcycle and develop new ways of living and producing within the city. The megastructure aims to become the interface between man and machine, recognizing the city and hinterlands as one in the process.

How can the integral and multifunctional use of public space, subsurface, and buildings—within a densified urban environment—create space and value that contribute to an attractive and future-proof living environment? International interdisciplinary students from Delft University of Technology have outlined various design solutions by tackling this question. Manifest in all cases are the spatial bottlenecks on the level of public space. The hybridization of the urban and architectural program requires a cross-section thinking. The six real-life cases the students studied on are the result of a Flemish-Dutch collaboration of the project Stad × Ruimte: Leuven, Amsterdam, Oostende, Maastricht, Mechelen en Rotterdam.

With a growing world population and changing climate conditions, cities have many problems to face in the future. The changing climate can affect the way we appropriate urban outdoor spaces which will affect the social sustainability in the city, so adaptation strategies in cities are necessary. Urban designers should create conditions to maintain the quality of life in these spaces and therefore the question is asked: “How can urban design improve the urban microclimate of- and (temporary) appropriation in urban outdoor spaces to make Milan sustainable towards 2100? This thesis is in search of urban design solutions for a social- and environmentally sustainable development of cities in the future. To achieve this the thesis will elaborate at first on temporary appropriation and the guidelines that urban designers should take into account to create (a) pleasant walkability, places for staying and soft edges. Secondly, it will elaborate on urban microclimate and it’s guidelines. Thirdly, and most importantly, the relations between appropriation and urban microclimate will be explained. Through a strong analysis of the theoretical subjects and an analysis of Milan as a case study a vision and design strategy is developed. On different spatial scales, the projects show the opportunities and necessary actions that should be taken to create a sustainable living environment towards 2100. Design methods are used to research how urban designers can make the spatial translation of the theoretical guidelines and these solutions are shown in a handbook called: “Climability solutions for urban design”. These solutions have been applied to multiple project locations in Milan where is shown how the solutions work, who is involved and which necessary actions are needed. After all, to create a sustainable environment towards 2100 interventions on different scale levels should be designed with great attention to the urban microclimate and appropriation of urban outdoor spaces. Designers should be more climate aware and should integrate choice in their design where people should have many opportunities to appropriate the space and to choose a microclimate that is pleasant for them. This research can be extended by site visits with interviews of residents and professionals in the fields of social- and environmental sustainability. Moreover, more extensive use of design tools, like ENVI-met, will give more insight into the design of urban microclimate and will improve the design ideas.

This graduation project is focused on a re-interpretation of the design of a high-rise building from an urban design perspective, to contribute to a more inclusive city. This is captured by the main research question: In which manner could the design of a high-rise building in the context of the Binckhorst The Hague, from the perspective of urban design, contribute to the development of a more inclusive city? The urgency of the subject follows on the trend of high-rise developments in Europe, The Netherlands and The Hague. The Hague is predicted to grow substantially in population until 2040. The municipality has chosen a strategy of high-rise developments, to house the increasing population and to improve spatial quality. The Binckhorst plays an important role in this strategy. In the design of high-rise buildings there is a set of social challenges that should be accounted for: a rigid structure, homogeneity; and vertical segregation. The lack of a humanistic approach and the high amount of residents per building create the urge to approach the design of high-rise buildings from an urban design perspective. The Hague is dealing with a set of social challenges like segregation, loneliness, and social exclusion. This should be understood in the light of a hyper-diverse population with the nature of constantly changing needs and values of the residents. The main design value is inclusivity, as a part of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, it answers to the most fundamental ethical consideration for the development of our cities. Related to the theories of Just Diversity and the Open-City, the sub-design values that contribute to a more inclusive city and answer to the social context of The Hague are formulated. The design values taken from these theories are recognition, encounter and adaptability. Recognition addresses the different needs and values of people, adaptability responds to the changing needs and values and encounter is aimed at facilitating interaction between like and unlike individuals. Continuing on the design values a set of urban design principles and related elements guide the projects towards a more concrete form. These principles are tested by observations in and around existing high-rise buildings in The Hague and interviews with residents. The project concludes in a high-rise design in the Binckhorst The Hague. The design consists of urban design elements like a vertical living street, public spaces (pockets) along the route and a configuration of volumes and program. This project has set a clear framework of design values and principles that contribute to an inclusive high-rise design. While the fieldwork and the design constituted to an evaluation of these principles, more experiments in design or a wider target-group for interviews could help better ground the principles. Here extensive research in the context of one or a few of the innovative projects mentioned could help to better understand the social implications of design decisions taken. Next to the academic work there remains a need for visionary and experimental high-rise projects to explore new design approaches.

In the entire European Region over 80% of the adolescents are not active enough (WHO, 2019b). Physical activity can be seen as an essential component of human health as it can contribute to reducing the risk at several diseases, such as diabetes, depression, and several types of cancer (World Health Organization, 2010, p.10). Physical activity behaviour is influenced by a high variety of variables, ranging from personal variables to the physical environment. The composition of public spaces can facilitate or hinder adolescent physical activity behaviour. Although a lot of research has been done already and studies increasingly included the physical environment, research shows inconsistencies regarding similar variables (e.g. Ding, Sallis, Kerr, Lee, & Rosenberg, 2011). This makes it difficult to apply the knowledge in urban design practice. The objective of this thesis is to explore the role of urban design in contributing to increase activity levels of adolescents using quantitative statistics. Literature review is used to identify attributes of (adolescent) physical activity behaviour. From this review spatial attributes are selected to research the preferences of adolescents to visit public spaces for physical activity. A choice based conjoint analysis (CBCA) is used to estimate the relative importance of ten spatial attributes for adolescent physical activity in outdoor public space. To illustrate how such statistical method can be used to inform urban design a square in Westland, the Netherlands is selected as a test case to transform. Westland showed to be the least green municipality, and adolescents in Westlands appeared less active than the Dutch average. The attributes that showed significantly important from the survey were used to analyse and transform an existing public space. Choice based conjoint analysis can be a valuable method to use in urban research and design, as one can identify user preferences before actually transforming the physical environment. However it is important to carefully define and use the attributes for the analysis, and to avoid misinterpretation as much as possible. Choice based conjoint analysis can identify what spatial attributes are important and with that an urban designer can show how these can be implemented in urban design. 

In urban planning, one of the common units of measurement for population density is the amount of households per hectare. However, the actual size of the households is seldom considered, neither in 2D nor in 3D. This thesis proposes a method to calculate the average size of the households from existing urban areas based on available open data and to use it as a design parameter for new urban developments. The proposed unit of measurement is comprehensive of outdoor and indoor spaces, the latter comprising both residential and non-residential space. As a test case, the Haven-Stad project in Amsterdam was chosen, specifically its second phase, Sloterdijk One, envisioned by the municipality of Amsterdam to host 11220 households and 7480 working places by 2040. The sizes of typical households, as well as a series of other KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) were computed in different neighbourhoods of Amsterdam based on their similarities with the vision of Sloterdijk One. In the second part of this thesis, the resulting size of the households were used as a design parameter in a custom-made prototype tool to generate semi-automatically several design proposals (called scenarios) for urban developments. Additionally, each scenario can be converted into a Geo format to visualize it in web-based virtual platforms such as Google Earth and Cesium JS. Significant differences among the resulting design proposals based on this new unit of measurement were encountered, meaning that the average size of a household plays indeed a major role.

Virtual reality technology has captured the human imagination since before the first ceiling mounted glasses were invented in the 1960’s. Curiosity towards seeing what we can’t see and experiencing what we can’t experience, is one of the drivers behind societal and scientific progress.

In 2012, the technology saw a new phase of development start. Now, professions like architecture and urban design, professions that try to communicate ideas, have started to implement the technology. The entertainment industry is running with it. The first commercial sets have been a success. This time, it seems that VR is here to stay.

What happens then with the environment that we can see? This question becomes relevant now. Cyberpunk - a submovement of science fiction - always shows us the dystopian image. The metropole becomes neglected as people leave behind the physical world and loose themselves in the digital.

These works of fiction have functioned as a red flag and have inspired this thesis. Within, the discussion is not whether or when VR is going to feature in the daily lives of people - the question is what the effect will be.

Through the lense of VR development, current developments in the urban public space are scrutinized. The objective: to make sure that neglecting the city is not the path humanity will end upon.

This research is about the spatial integration of a self-sufficient renewable energy system in selected urban blocks in the neighbourhood Ramplaankwartier in Haarlem, providing the heat demand of the residential buildings located in these selected urban blocks. Solar energy production and thermal energy storage are the selected energy production and storage methods included in this report. These methods are the result of a literature study and its demarcation results. Based on a spatial analysis resulting in energy potentials, ten configurations are set up for the integration of a renewable energy systems. These configurations are divided over three categories with different principles for an energy transition project: (A) 100% gas replacement using the commonly applied placement of panels on roofs. (B) 100% gas replacement using an analysis of energy potentials (C) Configurations aiming for minor spatial impact on the selected urban blocks taking into account the wishes of inhabitants.These ten configuration were assessed on their quantifiable spatial & energy characteristics using a set of selected/modified spatial & energy indicators. Secondly a perceptual analysis was employed on a pilot group of inhabitants during an information night. During a presentation of the configuration results questionnaires were filled in by inhabitants.The results of the quantifiable and perceptual analysis are compared using the the following criteria: energy potential, spatial impact, inhabitants acceptance, amount of m2 used energy production panels & necessary additional technologies. The configuration (C.4), using PVT + large scale heat pump + pit thermal energy storage, is the optimal solution of the investigated energy solutions.Purely based on the energy characteristics replacing 100% of the gas use, the best option would be (combination of configurations C.3 & C.4) using PVT + large scale heat pump + latent thermal energy storage.If spatial/visual impact in the public space of an energy transition project is not possible or there is an aim for zero spatial/visual impact of stakeholders, then the B.1 or C.2 configuration, using flat-plate collectors + pit thermal energy storage (without covered parking), is the best option.This thesis hopes to contribute to speeding up the process of energy transition projects, replacing the gas produced heat demand with a renewable produced heat demand, for the existing built environments in the Netherlands.

A design strategy for an temporary Olympic arena optimized for a post-event use in steel construction has been researched. Three strategies have been considered, namely relocation, adaptation en up-cycling. A research by design was conducted with a parametric model, where two optimized designs have been compared. Applying several reuse strategies increases material use, but also increases the number of reusable members in a steel construction.

Joint Exhibition Faculty of Architecture & the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology & College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Beijing University of Technology.