Humanity depends on energy, to protect our planet and maintain a secure energy system, we need to transition towards renewable energy sources. This transition also faces challenges concerning spatial demand, spatial quality, resistance from the population and an unfitting energy infrastructure. The Rhenish Lignite Mining District is one of the places where these problems come together. The area’s foundation is currently lignite mining, but from 2030 onward, the mines will close. What is left is a large energy gap, a polluted and damaged environment and a disturbed socio-economic structure. The Rhenish Mining District is faced with the question of how to regenerate through the design of the minescape of the Rhenish Mining Area towards an inclusive energy transition. Through systemic thinking and scenario design, this thesis displays the possibilities new energy production methods create by being integrated into the minescape. Their symbiotic relations strengthen various aspects of the systems present in the minescape. The scenarios highlight the importance of designing for the green. blue, social and energy systems. The thesis reveals that the footprint of the minescape expands far beyond the borders of the extraction footprint. Therefore, the impact of the energy transition expands far beyond the extraction footprint. This is strengthened by the footprint and impact of renewable energy sources needing significantly more space than the current energy system. Through the scenarios, this thesis triggers the imagination on the possibilities of the energy transition and opens a discussion on the possible futures of the Rhenish minescape. ... Read more

The way housing is planned and used in the Netherlands is rooted in economic growth. This system, coupled with the culture of malleability of the landscape, caused an ignorance towards the natural system. Due to the changing climate, the country is experiencing increased floods and subsidence, adding to existing ecological and housing crises, necessitating a transition. This study endeavours to envision a spatial framework for alternative growth in the Zwolle region, with a focus on values to navigate this transition. Despite the presence of alternatives to this growth model, the lack of spatial implications and convincing tools is impeding the transition. Central to this research is the question: “How can a renewed value-based spatial design stimulate an alternative growth in the Zwolle region, where the housing system can thrive within social and ecological boundaries?” Using methods such as mapping, policy analysis, interviews, and scenario development, this research illustrates the journey towards alternative growth through imagery and storytelling. Key findings underscore the pivotal role of translating shared values into actionable spatial strategies to guide the transition process effectively. Moreover, it highlights the instrumental role of spatial design in facilitating communication and negotiation, emphasising the necessity of multiscale evaluations and stakeholder engagement in creating convincing narratives amidst complex societal challenges. ... Read more

This thesis project explores the imperative of strenghening Vienna's climate resilience through mitigating weather extremes and fostering knowledge of them by reimagining its current water and ecosystem dynamics. The central focus is on integrating a blue-green infrastructure into the urban environment and a just distribution of their services, thereby establishing a balanced coexistence with the ecosystem.

The objectives encompass mitigating pressing urban challenges such as the urban heat island effect and biodiversity loss, while fostering awareness of the symbiotic relationship between a healthy ecosystem and human well-being. These efforts are pivotal in the city's journey toward climate resilience and adapting to dynamic climate conditions.
The broader aspiration is to illuminate a path towards socially and environmentally sustainable urban transformations. ... Read more

Shanghai has experienced rapid urbanization over the past 30 years, with a large number of rural areas being transformed into semi-urbanized areas with mixed functions. The main drivers were top-down state-led development, market forces, and bottom-up rural industrialization. The scale and speed of this process have far exceeded expectations, leading to a series of socio-ecological problems such as population loss, industrial decline, and environmental pollution. Based on the analysis, this dissertation identifies two development directions: industrial restructuring and ecological protection, to cope with the uncertainty of population growth, a scenario-building approach is used to explore the optimal strategies under different circumstances. Design strategies are extracted through scenario evaluation and applied to strategic planning. ... Read more

This project focuses on the sustainable development of Anxin County, situated in the Xiong'an New Area of China. The aim is to create a harmonious balance between economic growth and ecological preservation, considering the region's unique characteristics, such as the Baiyangdian wetland and the surrounding rural landscape. Taking the local wetland productive system as a starting point, the project explores the possibilities of the local agricultural landscape to be adapted to the rapid urbanization process as well as providing a climate-resilient solution for the hydrological crisis.

A strategic map has been formulated through a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of scenario building. This map emphasizes the integration of local industries, namely reed cultivation, fishery and other primary industries, and ecological preservation. By promoting the sustainability of the local industry, a more coordinated network will be built to provide enough job opportunities to residents and protect the ecological sensitivity of the wetland at the same time. The goal is to enhance the ecological and social resilience of the area and establish a sustainable development model that can be replicated in the North China Plain area. ... Read more

The coast of Paramaribo is predicted to undergo urban expansion due to the growing population of Paramaribo. However, the coast has to do with several challenges; tidal- and urban flooding and coastal erosion. This does not make the coast the most habitable place for urban expansion. The urban, water and soil systems are not functioning in harmony on the coast. Hence, a spatial transition to a dynamic co-existence between the urban-water-soil metabolism is necessary.
With this information, the following research question is formulated “How can an insight into the urban-water-soil metabolism develop a more socially and environmentally resilient coast in Paramaribo?”.
In order to answer this question an analysis was done on the three systems; urban, water and soil. The analysis was concluded with a site visit, which lead to the potential for a general strategy to achieve a resilient coast. As the urban-water-soil metabolism presents itself differently in several areas on the coast, 3 locations were chosen for which a strategy was designed with the help of the pattern deck, which was developed for this project.
The systemic change of the urban, water and soil systems will lead to a resilient coast of Paramaribo. The existing housing and urban expansion will be transformed/designed to be resilient, the urban expansion will be a mixed living and working environment. Tidal flooding will be addressed by strengthening the coast with a green belt and clay dykes. The water management system will be properly maintained and upgraded and the coast will be strengthened and protected from coastal erosion by rehabilitating the depleted mangrove forests. This in turn will also boost biodiversity.
In conclusion, the coast of Paramaribo can become resilient by (re)introducing co-existence of the urban-water-soil metabolism.
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The beginning of the 21st century is defined by geopolitical tensions around resources, an expected shortage of fossil fuel resources and the emerging climate crisis, amplifying the urgency of the transition to renewable energy sources. This energy transition has been at the forefront of public discussion, framed by the 2016 Paris Agreement and the 2019 European Green Deal. In this context, European member states must accelerate the decarbonisation of their industries and the transition to renewable energy sources. As each member state attempts to deal with this challenge, issues associated with social and spatial justice in coal-intensive European regions arise, calling for a coordinated, inclusive and collaborative plan aiming at a just transition.

This thesis uses the coal intensive region of Western Macedonia as a case study and proposes the reconfiguration of the energy landscape by formulating a territorial vision, based on an analysis and the evaluation of scenario building. More specifically, it develops a series of spatial and non-spatial strategies aimed at restoring ecological integrity, diversifying the energy production, re-using heritage spaces and promoting governance collaboration and social inclusivity. By examining the vulnerabilities, potential, and opportunities present in the territory of Western Macedonia, this thesis seeks to promote the reconfiguration of Western Macedonia, embracing principles of regenerative development, adaptive re-use, participatory planning and collaborative governance. ... Read more

Since the earliest records, the Brazilian semiarid, in the northeast of the country, has suffered from water scarcity and recurrent droughts. To mitigate the effects of high variability and low availability of water in the region, governments have been investing, since the 1960s, in the construction of dams to stop the loss of water to the ocean, and water channels, to quickly distribute the stored water to places of greatest demand. Of the 10 states in the Brazilian seminary, the one with the largest amount of waterworks is Ceará, where the largest reservoir in Latin America is also found, Castanhão, built in the middle third of the Jaguaribe river, whose basin drains 50% of the state’s territory. The construction of the Castanhão dam demanded, among other actions, the resettlement of the urban centre of the city Jaguaribara, which had 2/3 of its territory flooded to make way for stored water.

The initial study showed the unsustainability of the regional water system and a series of problems regarding the use and availability of water in Jaguaribara. Such observation aroused the hypothesis that local water management could be improved by combining engineering and nature-base solutions, considering the inhabitants of Jaguaribara and the unique biome of Brazilian semiarid, the Caatinga. Therefore, the present work adopts the research through design strategy (RTD) and starts from the analysis of the wetness Ceará and Jaguaribara, to propose design strategies that aim to establish a wetness retention landscape in Jaguaribara - also stretching these ideas at a larger scale. As result, the design strategies were evaluated for their effectiveness in terms of creating an autonomous and drought-resilient community, being classified into seven types, according to their specific objectives and areas of implementation. ... Read more

The province of South Holland is a key player in the global food economy. However, its agrifood sector is currently generating unwanted outputs. CO₂ emissions are the largest and most problematic output flow of this sector, causing negative externalities such as climate change and sea-level rise. Actors producing the CO₂ are interlocked into a system and do not have the resources to escape this. This report uses the concept of the circular economy to design out this polluting output flow, while also taking the financial position of the actors into account. The transition to a circular agrifood economy for CO₂ has to happen spatially. The available space in the province of South Holland is already under pressure to solve other major challenges, such as land degradation, climate adaptation, decreasing biodiversity and a poor urban landscape relationship. Solving all these challenges separately is inefficient and impossible.
This report explores the possible synergies between mitigating those challenges and the transition towards a CO₂ circular (i.e. CO₂ neutral) agrifood economy, while also taking spatial justice into account. A future is envisioned of an interconnected metropolitan landscape where CO₂ is stored in the form of biomass and where knowledge about a biobased economy is gained and exported to the world. A cross-subsidy CO₂ exchange policy based on creating synergies with other challenges is proposed as a catalyst policy for this transition. Furthermore, specific spatial interventions in the form of setting up knowledge parks are also contributing to the transition. The agrifood sector will become much more robust and sustainable by trading CO₂ together. The production of biomass mitigates other spatial challenges too, and vulnerable farmers get an additional source of income. With the proposed strategies, the province of South Holland is ready for a sustainable and cooperating tomorrow. ... Read more

In the Netherlands landscape and (agri)culture have always influenced each other and there is an inherent relationship between them. Through innovations over time, the province of South-Holland developed profitable productive food-landscapes which provided an important contribution to the Dutch food production and export, making the Netherlands one of the leading food-exporters worldwide.

However, the profit-oriented character of the productive landscape no longer fits well with the changing societal values, as the current pattern is destructive to the environment and people feel disconnected from the food production and the landscape. Society today does not only value profit, but also increasingly cares about the environment and social justice. The productive systems are locked into a path of environmental destruction and do not focus on the values of society, which show increased awareness of the importance of a healthy, diverse, environmental-friendly and inclusive approach towards future developments.

To resolve this mismatch between landscape and culture, this project aims to transform the current economic-driven food productive landscapes towards regenerative food landscapes that match with the values and needs of society today. To do so, this project starts from the perspective of the landscape, uses transition theory as a theoretical base, takes into account social justice, and investigates the spatial implications of regenerative development.
The results are a vision that foresees regenerative landscapes for South Holland and a strategy with interventions to reach this vision by 2050. Both the vision and the strategy take into account the three different types of food landscapes of South Holland: agriculture on clay soil, livestock and dairy production on peat soil, and horticulture in a mixed peri-urban environment. The regenerative landscapes will not only mitigate the effects of previous destructions but reverse them by a cooperative relation between man and nature . The landscapes will revitalize the province to sustain modern values and to restore the inherent relation between landscape and culture.
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