This thesis explores strategies to address environmental injustice and enhance human wellbeing in minority-concentrated neighborhoods in Charlotte, North Carolina, impacted by rapid urbanization and limited access to greenspaces. Through a multi-scalar approach combining ecological restoration, sustainable urban design, and community-led placemaking, the project proposes integrated interventions such as expanding green corridors, restoring waterways, and promoting accessible transit to improve environmental quality and social equity. Central to the research is the Green Village of Charlotte, a nature-based educational and community hub designed to empower residents through environmental education and participatory initiatives focused on food sovereignty, biodiversity, and climate resilience. By combining scenario planning, design frameworks, softGIS surveys and community engagement, the project demonstrates how holistic, adaptive, and inclusive planning can foster healthier, more equitable urban environments while minimizing displacement risks. The findings contribute to advancing urban sustainability and environmental justice in growing metropolitan areas.

Dit onderzoek richt zich op de ontwikkeling van een integrale ruimtelijke strategie voor bouwen en wonen op veengronden in Nederland, als antwoord op de woningcrisis en de gevolgen van klimaatverandering. Een amfibische woonvorm van wonen op palen wordt onderzocht, waarmee verschillende grondwaterstanden in het gebied mogelijk worden als uitgangspunt voor ruimtelijke inrichting. De strategie is uitgewerkt op drie schaalniveaus: stedenbouwkundig, cluster- en woningniveau, en onderzoekt hoe bouwen op veen mogelijk wordt gemaakt door middel van lichte, flexibele bouwmethoden, innovatieve funderingstechnieken en adaptief waterbeheer. Hierbij speelt het APSSI-systeem (Aquifer Pressured SubSoil Infiltration) een centrale rol in het reguleren van waterstanden en het tegengaan van bodemdaling. Het onderzoek combineert ecologische, technische en maatschappelijke inzichten tot een toekomstvisie waarin water en bodem sturend zijn voor de inrichting van het land, in lijn met de uitgangspunten van het Nationaal Deltaprogramma 2025. Hiermee wordt een nieuwe amfibische cultuur voorgesteld waarin wonen op veen niet langer uitzondering, maar norm kan worden.

The Russo-Ukrainian War has had a profound impact on the land, people, society, and daily life in Ukraine, particularly in the frontline areas where battlefields and defensive structures stretch across the north to the south. As the war continues, this strip of land bears the scars of conflict, featuring devastated landscapes, abandoned agricultural fields, and an environment that feels insecure, sorrowful, and hopeless. This project seeks to explore the reimagination of war-torn territories and the concept of a neutral landscape, interpreting battlefields to create a meaningful and reflective space for remembrance and peace.

Situated at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Asia, Ukraine has long been a crucial border area. The research field focuses on identifying the landscape characteristics of the borderscape, examining the fragmented and traumatized landscape resulting from conflicts and defensive structures, in search of potential pathways to healing.

Inspired by case studies and precedents, the design proposes a neutral zone that aims to create experiential spaces that narrate the “stories of this border area.” The military artifacts are subtly transitioned, providing memorial spaces while restoring the natural ecosystem and agricultural activities. An elevated pathway gently weaves through these experiential sites along the entire 3,000 km stretch of land.

This project contributes to the broader discourse on the transformation of war landscapes by incorporating the significance of borderscapes with the restoration of the landscape. It offers a sense of comfort to individuals and society dealing with war trauma, serving as a reflection and reminder for the future.

The architecture of transportation is recognized by the contemporary lifestyle of society. For the built environment and the future of aerospace infrastructure architecture this legacy needs to be properly examined, respected and continued. This new form of urban infrastructure will introduce a mixed-use building where passengers can check in and travel between distinct urban drone stations. The network in which these vertiports will exist is expected to grow considerably in the coming century to accommodate a decline in car use. The expected increase in demand requires the design to include a modular approach, allowing terminals to easily expand or downsize as needed in the future. Additionally, the design will feature a warehouse dedicated to postal services, where packages and post can be sent through the city via drones. The location of this drone hub is strategically located next to the Hauptbahnhof-station on the unused plot of land adjacent to the tunnel trench where the tracks go underground. This area around and over the train tracks is ideal for apron platforms. Due to the extensive tracks, the project’s site offers a significant potential for future expansion. Developing a cornerstone of tomorrow’s urban landscape.

Post-war shopping malls in the Netherlands are becoming increasingly vacant, which is reflected in the level of activity of the public spaces. These retail-oriented places are becoming less visited as the main reason to come here disappears. This presents a challenge in a compact and densely populated country with a high space demand. With the twelve urban quality criteria of Jan Gehl, a user-based design strategy for Winkelcentrum Leyweg in The Hague Southwest has been developed. The use of spaces determines the level of activity, as the people bring life to these areas. Therefore, this design focuses mainly on the people by introducing elements that make their daily lives more comfortable and enjoyable. A simple bench with trees functioning as canopies can already do the trick. In a building, it is about giving people the freedom to use the spaces they want; places to work, drink a coffee, have a workshop, study, or have the freedom to do what they want. When these buildings are occupied in various ways during the day, more people will be connected to the building, and even a small community can exist here. The increased activity in and around the building will contribute to the overall sense of security. By the use of the building, people will start to care for it and eventually maintain it, providing a more sustainable future. The architect's role is to shape the spaces by introducing qualities that enhance comfort and enjoyment. This can be the increase of daylight, a comfortable climate, moveable furniture, relation between inside and out, good acoustic levels and the opportunities to open or close spaces. Instead of shopping malls being intended for retail alone, these places can be a part of the city. This strategy can be applied to other vacant malls in the Netherlands, reactivating them and providing a more promising and sustainable future.

Delta cities all around the world are under pressure from different forms of climate change effects. Soil subsidence as a result of peat oxidation, and anthropogenic loading of the soil. The soil in many of the heavily urbanised deltas around the world is subsiding faster than the see level is rising as a result of climate change. Few people are however aware of the problems that soil subsidence can cause and the threat that it poses for the cities and their hinterlands, in Delta regions. Soil subsidence has been going on for such a long time that few people seem to realise that it can pose a threat in the nearby future. Delfland is a part of the Dutch delta that has been polderized and it has been subsiding ever since these polders where created. The purpose of this thesis is to research what the spatial and strategical requirements are, to make it possible for Delfland to deal with soil subsidence, and its effects within the region. There is however no certainty about the future impact of soil subsidence or the which actions are required to counter soil subsidence and its effects. The dynamic adaptive policy pathways (DAPP) method is used to deal with this uncertainty. This method has been developed to be able to plan for an unknown future. This is done though the development of dynamic pathways that function as a plan that can change, depending on future developments. This makes it possible to deal with uncertainty within the soil subsidence problem feld, as well as, external uncertainties. For example uncertainties from climate change, economical changes, or political changes. The strategical impact, of dealing with soil subsidence and its effects through the use of DAPP, is reviewed by taking a closer look at how decisions are made within the DAPP method, and how these same decisions could be made on a regional scale for all of Delfland. This requires knowledge of the possible stakeholders and their role and influence within Delfland and in relation to soil subsidence and its effects. The spatial impact, of dealing with soil subsidence and its effects through the use of DAPP, is reviewed by taking a closer look at the pathways that could be chosen when using the DAPP method. Spatial reflections of different pathways, on the Delfland region, offer an insight in the possible spatial outcomes of different pathways and the actions that are taken within these pathways.