Urban area development plays a crucial role in achieving sustainability ambitions, yet the complexity of the multi-actor environment often hinders their realization. This thesis investigates how sustainability ambitions can be enabled within the complex environment of Dutch urban area development, using transition theories as a theoretical lens.

The study uses qualitative research based on 24 semi-structured interviews across five actor groups: governments, industry, NGOs, financial institutions and knowledge institutes. The findings reveal a wide range of financial, policy and regulatory, and organizational challenges that are not isolated, but embedded in systemic dependencies between actors.

Using the sustainable market transformation theory, the study demonstrates how transition phases help to explain the misalignment between actors. Five illustrative examples show that actors often operate in different phases of transition, creating systemic bottlenecks that limit collective progress. The results underscore the relevance of involving all actor groups, as each holds the potential to either enable or hinder collective progress toward sustainable outcomes.

This research concludes that transition theories provide valuable insights into the dynamics of urban area development and contribute to a deeper understanding of how sustainability ambitions can be enabled.

While the importance of stakeholder involvement in creating new learning environments in universities is well established, limited research has been conducted on the stakeholder process within learning environments as a distinct field or on optimizing this process. It remains unclear how stakeholder contributions are managed and whether these inputs effectively translate into spaces that meet the expectations and requirements of end-users. This research aims to map out the stakeholder involvement process and explore how it can be optimized. The central research question is: 'How can stakeholder involvement be optimized in the creation of effective learning environments in university real estate?'"

To answer this question, a mixed-methods study will be conducted, consisting of three components. First, a literature review will provide a theoretical foundation on stakeholder involvement and the effectiveness of learning environments. Following this, a case study will be conducted on selected cases of newly implemented learning environments developed with stakeholder involvement. The case studies will map out the stakeholder involvement process in the creation of these environments. Next, interviews will be held with the stakeholders involved in the process, assessing their perspectives on the process and their views on the effectiveness of the resulting learning environments. Lastly, surveys will be conducted with end-users of the learning environments to evaluate their perceptions of the environment's effectiveness. The goal of this research is to assess whether there is alignment between stakeholder expectations and end-user experiences, and to explore how the effectiveness of the learning environments can be traced back to the stakeholder involvement process. This will ultimately help identify areas for optimization in stakeholder involvement.

Stress among university students is a growing concern across the Netherlands, Europe, and the world, yet the influence of physical learning environments on stress remains underexplored. This thesis investigates how two contrasting university study environments influence students’ stress responses, both physiologically and psychologically. The study compares two real-life university rooms at Delft University of Technology: a traditional, warm-toned space and a newer, cool-toned, modern environment. Stress was measured using salivary cortisol, custom-designed survey items, and thematic analysis of open-ended survey responses. Results show that students in the newer room reported improved concentration and reduced self-perceived physiological stress. In contrast, cortisol levels slightly increased in this space, though not significantly. This rise may indicate focused arousal or “eustress” rather than distress, suggesting that environments supporting concentration might trigger physiological activation even when perceived stress is low. Qualitative responses supported this interpretation, with students describing task-dependent preferences and subconscious responses to room design. These findings suggest that the physical learning environment can influence how students experience stress, while also highlighting a mismatch between psychological and physiological indicators. The divergence reinforces the importance of using multi-method approaches in environmental stress research, implementing multiple stress indicators both physiological and psychological. The study concludes that a diverse range of adaptable study environments is needed to accommodate students’ varying emotional and cognitive needs. Physical design should be considered a meaningful factor in promoting student wellbeing and academic performance.

Adaptive reuse (AR) is becoming increasingly significant within the construction sector, particularly in mixed-use urban areas where adaptation is essential to meet circular economy objectives and evolving user needs. As existing buildings are expected to undergo multiple adaptations throughout their lifecycle, the complexity of such projects continues to increase. While previous studies have explored the complexity of the AR process and identified a range of contributing factors, there remains a lack of clarity regarding the application and significance of these individual factors.

The aim of this research is to develop a set of strategies to enhance the adaptive reuse process in mixed-use areas within the Netherlands. A final list of fourteen strategies determined to be most effective is proposed. The list can function as a checklist to support clients in making informed decisions and conducting contract documents.

To address the research questions, a literature review and a two-round Delphi study is employed. The literature review establishes the theoretical foundation, examining the concepts of adaptive reuse processes, strategy, strategic management, and effectiveness. This literature study is foundational to the initial compilation of a list of strategies relevant to AR. The Delphi study engages twelve experts across two phases. In the first round, a survey is conducted to preliminarily prioritise the strategies identified in the literature, followed by semi-structured interviews to further contextualise and enrich the findings. The second round involves a second survey to validate the prioritised list and incorporate additional strategies identified during the interviews. Among the experts there are multiple stakeholders from three completed AR projects in The Netherlands, to contextualise the findings.

This research results in an enriched, prioritised, and validated set of fourteen strategies. The list provides clients in AR with guidance on which strategies are most critical, when they should be implemented, how they function within the process, and which stakeholders are involved. All information is visualised by the means of the AR process.

Ultimately, the study offers insights into the effectiveness of strategies in adaptive reuse and delivers a list of strategies, compiled to enhance clarity and decision-making for clients. This information is to be used for agreements and to compile contracts with other stakeholders of the AR project. The list’s success is contingent upon collaboration and knowledge exchange, and it holds considerable potential to support future adaptive reuse initiatives when used in conjunction with complementary resources.

Sustainable development faces substantial challenges, with the built environment emerging as a major contributor to resource consumption. Office retrofitting, commonly known as changing the office fit out, is a common process in corporate real estate and accentuates these challenges due to its linear model of extraction, production, consumption, and disposal of building materials. This model leads to considerable waste and greenhouse gas emissions. This research examines the inefficiencies of the current linear model and explores transitioning to a circular office fit-out, which aims to minimise resource use and waste. The study focuses on the tenant-landlord relationship in corporate real estate, as these stakeholders are crucial for enabling circular fit-outs. The research question addressed is: “How can the tenant-landlord relationship facilitate the process from a traditional to a circular fit-out in office buildings?” Mixed methods, including literature review, case study documentation, and interviews, were used. What was found was that the relationship can enable circular practices if the stakeholders show positive behaviour, expertise, commitment, share information and communicate well, have a promoting business strategy around the fit-out product, and are pushed by society. Furthermore, the lease agreement showed to be crucial, and could enable circular practices even more than the actual fit-out design. Although these mentioned relationship determinants and arrangements are important, the research showed it is important to recognise the stakeholders individual responsibility towards circular practices. The research concludes with recommendations towards each stakeholder.

The rising prevalence of workplace-related mental health issues, particularly burnout, has garnered significant attention from both public and private sectors. This thesis investigates how workplace strategies incorporate mental health considerations, focusing on the development process and implementation within Dutch corporate offices. Against a backdrop of increasing burnout rates and associated costs, now exceeding €3.3 billion annually in the Netherlands, this study aims to bridge the knowledge gap on how mental health is embedded within workplace strategy-making. Utilising a qualitative, abductive research approach, this study combines theoretical review and an embedded single-case study, including document analysis and semi-structured interviews. Findings reveal that while well-being is strategically prioritised, translating these aspirations into actionable measures remains challenging. The research identifies a disconnect between intangible mental health considerations, which are well integrated into organizational strategies, and tangible workplace implementations, which often fade to the background due to feasibility constraints and funding limitations. The study concludes that mental health remains underprioritised in workplace strategy, without a cohesive and clear approach. This segmentation hinders effective cascading of mental health priorities across organizational levels, raising questions about responsibility and actionability. Addressing these gaps, the thesis highlights the need for greater clarity, enhanced interdepartmental collaboration, and stronger support for mental health considerations throughout workplace strategy formulation and implementation.

This research investigates the financial feasibility of the design of new office buildings for future residential conversion in response to rising office vacancy rates (8%) and a housing shortage of approximately 400,500 homes in the Netherlands. Conversion is understood as the transformation of a building's function while preserving its structure, offering potential cost, time, and environmental benefits. However, the technical, functional, and legal challenges of converting existing buildings complicate their conversion. Although most buildings will require adaptation in the future, designing specifically for conversion remains uncommon due to financial uncertainties.
Existing research has explored the technical and functional aspects of convertible buildings, but little attention has been given to the financial feasibility of the design of buildings with future conversion potential. This gap limits investors' ability to assess whether convertible building designs offer financial advantages. This research aims to bridge that gap by evaluating the associated costs and benefits of the design of convertible buildings and their impact on financial feasibility.
The findings suggest that while convertible buildings require higher initial investments – due to enhanced structural features and design costs – they significantly lower long-term vacancy risks, improving rental income potential and allowing for favourable financing conditions. Sustainability benefits may also yield premiums that enhance property values and reduce tax liabilities, though their realisation is debated. The convertible design approach permits a lower discount rate, mitigating the time value of money effects on future cash flows. Financial feasibility does not solely depend on whether a building is converted; most factors remain relevant regardless of if the conversion actually takes place. The research concludes that designing for convertibility reduces long-term risks and enhances flexibility in adapting to market changes, though its financial feasibility varies based on market conditions and investor profiles.
This exploratory qualitative research contributes to filling a knowledge gap in the financial aspects of convertible building design, offering insights for investors, developers, and owners of office properties. It makes use of literature review, interviews with different stakeholders and a sensitivity analysis in form of a DCF model. The generalisability and validity of the findings may be limited because of its geographic focus on the Dutch market, the qualitative nature of data collection, and reliance on assumptions in the sensitivity analysis.