Play is essential for children’s physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development. However, many public playgrounds and urban environments are inaccessible to children with disabilities. This limits their opportunities for independent movement, social interaction, and outdoor play. Although inclusive playgrounds have received more attention recently, accessibility is often considered an isolated intervention rather than part of the broader urban environment.

This master’s thesis explores ways to redesign urban environments to support inclusive access, movement, and play for children with and without disabilities. Using the neighborhood of Buitenveldert as a case study, this research project employs a combination of spatial analysis, fieldwork, interviews, mapping, literature research, and research by design. Three personas representing different ages and disabilities were created to understand how children experience and navigate the neighborhood and its public spaces.

The design proposal develops an inclusive, neighborhood-scale framework based on the principles of connect, play, and rest. These strategies aim to create accessible routes, inclusive play environments, and moments of pause throughout the neighborhood. This project shows that inclusive play is not only defined by playgrounds, but also by the broader urban environment that enables children to move around, navigate, and participate independently. ... Read more

This graduation project presents a comprehensive urban masterplan for the redevelopment of the Hembrugterrein in Zaandam, a former industrial and military site located along the Noordzeekanaal. The project responds to the increasing housing demand within the Metropolitan Region of Amsterdam
by exploring how dense urban development can be combined with heritage preservation, ecological structures, and high-quality public space. Based on a comparative study of multiple density scenarios, the Metropolitan scenario of approximately 5000 dwellings and 10.000 residents was identified as the most suitable future vision for the area, primarily because it provides sufficient support for a wide range of local amenities and creates enough demand to justify improved public transport connections.

The masterplan is structured around the existing qualities of the Hembrugterrein, including its monumental industrial buildings, waterfront location, and forest areas on the Hembrugterrein. A clear spatial framework is introduced through clearly structured streets, green boulevards, public courtyards, and a car-lite mobility strategy prioritising cyclists and pedestrians. Existing heritage structures are carefully integrated into the new urban fabric, often combined with contemporary vertical extensions that maintain the recognisability of the original buildings.

Special attention is given to the relationship between density and human scale. While most building blocks are limited to four or five storeys, strategically positioned height accents along the waterfront, forest edges, and important public spaces help accommodate the required density while strengthening the identity of the area. The project also emphasises the creation of diverse public
spaces, ranging from ecological green structures and neighbourhood squares to informal communal spaces integrated within the building blocks.

The project ultimately demonstrates how former industrial landscapes can be transformed into dense yet liveable urban neighbourhoods that contribute to contemporary housing demands while preserving historical identity and ecological qualities. ... Read more

Green spaces are increasingly emphasised within urban design because of their climate-adaptive, recreational and ecological benefits. However, when green spaces are not designed qualitatively, they can unintentionally reduce perceived safety through dark vegetation, isolated routes and anonymous open spaces. This creates what this research describes as the “paradox of green.” While statistical safety may remain relatively high, low perceived safety can strongly reduce the use of public space, particularly for women and other vulnerable groups.

This paradox is especially visible in modernist neighbourhoods such as Ommoord in Rotterdam, which was therefore selected as the case study. Within these neighbourhoods, openness, separation of functions and large quantities of green space were prioritised, while the green spaces often remain of relatively low quality and perceived safety and social cohesion are limited.

Greenery and safety are often treated as mutually exclusive objectives, however this research investigates whether safety and ecology can instead reinforce one another within urban design.
Both themes were first analysed separately to establish design principles. These principles were combined within the design process, requiring continuous trade-offs and spatial negotiations between ecological and social objectives. Rather than designing from a top-down perspective, the project approaches the neighbourhood from the perspective of its users by focusing on necessary, optional and social activities. At the same time, the ecological design was guided through four focus species representing larger species groups using the 4V-framework, allowing the design to respond to broader ecological systems. Additionally, temporal differences between day and night formed an important consideration, as the spatial requirements for safety and ecology differ over time.

Through a research-by-design approach based on continuous iteration and testing, the project resulted in an integrated urban design proposal in which both safety and green quality are strengthened simultaneously. The proposal combines safe and legible routing, ecological connectivity, spaces for social interaction and inclusive public spaces within one coherent urban framework.

Ultimately, the proposal goes beyond only the lenses of safety and ecology. By also considering housing, mobility, amenities, social cohesion and overall spatial quality, the project developed into an integrated urban design that improves the overall livability and quality of Ommoord.
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This graduation project investigates how spatial design for sustainable mobility can enhance liveability and accessibility in post-war neighbourhoods, using Hoge Vucht in Breda as a case study. In the context of climate change, urban densification, and the transition towards more sustainable cities, mobility plays a key role in shaping liveable neighbourhoods. Post-war areas in particular are dominated by car-oriented structures, reflecting the era in which they were built. This car-dependency creates a vicious cycle, causing air pollution, is not human-centred and takes up a lot of the land use in the city.

Two frameworks were developed to assess liveability, consisting of safety, spatial quality, health, community and accessibility, and a separate framework that zooms in further on accessibility, consisting of proximity, mobility, time and inclusiveness. These frameworks provide a structured lens to evaluate the spatial impact of design interventions.

A research-by-design approach was used with the case study area Hoge Vucht. Four scenarios are maximised, each emphasising one mobility type and one value of liveability or accessibility. These scenarios are assessed using the frameworks and combined into a single final design.

Key findings indicate that sustainable mobility and liveability reinforce one another: reduced car dominance creates space for play, social interaction, and nature. Reducing private car use does not automatically improve accessibility, but carefully designed sustainable mobility options help maintain and even enhance it. Improved proximity and high-quality walking and cycling paths ensure accessibility within the neighbourhood, while a well-connected cycling network, frequent and fast public transport, and a wide range of shared mobility ensure accessibility for longer distances. This transition requires time to change both public spaces and people’s travel behaviour. Starting with small-scale implementations and followed by larger infrastructure changes, a transition can be made from functional, car-dominant streets to valuable public spaces. ... Read more

Contemporary public spaces continue to be predominantly designed through a visual paradigm, resulting in environments that offer limited support for people who navigate the city primarily through non-visual means. Although accessibility has gained prominence as a design objective, this recognition has not translated into a substantive shift away from visually dominant design practices, resulting in limited and fragmented multisensory cues for wayfinding and perceptual comfort for visually impaired and blind individuals. This becomes particularly problematic in high-density urban contexts, where intensified sensory input increases cognitive demand and undermines non-visual legibility.

This research investigates how multisensory spatial design variables can support non-visual wayfinding and perceptual comfort in public space, and how these variables can be systematically translated into design strategies for plazas, parks and urban routes. The study employs qualitative walk-along interviews with visually impaired and blind participants conducted in The Hague, Rotterdam and Amsterdam, complemented by evaluations of spatial design principles with ten other visually impaired and blind participants.

The findings demonstrate that consistent auditory, tactile and material cues significantly enhance spatial legibility, reduce cognitive load and contribute to a more comfortable and predictable urban experience beyond vision alone. These insights are structured through a pattern-based framework that mediates between research and design, while a complementary maximization method is employed as an ordering and communicative tool within three spatial design proposals. By bridging experiential research and design practice, this study contributes to the d ... Read more

In contemporary cities, death has become increasingly removed from everyday life. Cemeteries are often spatially and socially segregated, limiting opportunities for collective remembrance and reflection. At the same time, urban space is under growing pressure to accommodate multiple functions. This thesis explores how cemeteries can be reimagined as integrated and accessible urban spaces that reconnect death with daily life while supporting social, cultural, and ecological values.

Through a combination of fieldwork, expert interviews, and experiential, historical, financial, legal, and sociological analyses, the research develops a comprehensive understanding of the spatial functioning of contemporary Dutch urban cemeteries. To bridge research and design, a pattern language is developed that can be applied by professionals in the funerary and urbanism fields to both transform existing cemeteries and plan new ones. Based on this framework, six main design strategies are established.

The research then zooms in on four locations in Rotterdam South to explore how the integration of death into daily life can take shape within an existing urban context. First, a transformation strategy for the existing Zuiderbegraafplaats is presented. This is followed by design proposals for three sites where burial is currently not permitted, exploring new spatial relationships between remembrance, everyday use, and the city.
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This thesis examines the practical integration of urban wilderness into spatial planning and design, aiming to establish actionable knowledge through a pattern language that supports ecologically driven and perceptually engaging urban environments. The thesis systematically explores four interconnected aspects: clarifying the conceptual foundations of urban wilderness in the urban planning and design discipline; investigating its spatial features and user perceptions; synthesizing design knowledge into structured wilderness design patterns; and validating their applicability through expert interviews and collaborative design experiments.... ... Read more

In the Netherlands, socio-economic inequality remains a pressing issue, with urban areas experiencing the most significant challenges. Economic disparities between regions and within cities contribute to unequal access to opportunities and services. This inequality affects low-income households, leading to persistent cycles of poverty. Major cities, including Rotterdam, reflect the negative consewuences of this phenomenonwith some neighborhoods particularly affected by poverty and isolation. In the south of Rotterdam, a significant proportion of residents face socio-economic challenges, with many households living below the poverty line. This economic burden affects their well-being in a number of ways, including reduced access to basic services, limited social opportunities and a lack of supportive resources in the community. This can lead to social isolation, increased stress and reduced quality of life. It is important to understand the nature of relative poverty before considering how the built environment can serve this target group. This research aims to investigate how the built environment in Rotterdam South can actively contribute to improving the well-being of low-income households by incorporating shared resources, practices, collective living structures and communal spaces. ... Read more

As of today, cities are becoming increasingly dense and diverse; thus, the quality of public meeting space is under pressure. This graduation project examines how urban design can enhance the city as a meeting place, thereby facilitating meetings among its residents, using the neighborhood Bospolder-Tussendijken in Rotterdam as a case study. The need for quality public meeting spaces is urgent in this neighborhood, characterized by superdiversity and spatial and social vulnerability. Through literature research, local observations, and design research, a pattern language has been developed that offers design principles to spatially facilitate informal meetings, ranging from anonymous to affectionate. Furthermore, a relationship has been observed between the use and type of meetings and the level of publicness of public space, resulting in three strategies. It was found that parochial places where amicable meetings occur contribute the most to a sense of public familiarity. The design concept focuses on strengthening existing social infrastructures, making levels of publicness more readable and balanced, and activating public spaces as stages for spontaneous interaction. The result is a context-specific design transformation that restores the role of the city as a meeting place. ... Read more

Barcelona is one of the leading metropolitan cities in Europe well-known for its history, culture vibrancy, architecture and progressive modern developments. Its dynamic role on both the national and international stage is driven by several factors, including its historical development, tourism industry, and a position as 8th in all of Europe and the 1st in southern Europe technological city of the future.

Starting from the beginning of 21st century, these forces shaped the city’s socio-economic landscape, bringing significant changes to its urban fabric. Due to them Barcelona shows economic growth and gains global recognition, however it also faces deepening social and spatial inequalities that threaten the city's long-term sustainability and social cohesion.
The rise of the tourism sector, with more than 15 million of visitors per year (Observatori del Turisme a Barcelona, 2023) and only 1.7 million of citizens (Barcelona City Council, 2024), together with initiatives like the 22@ Innovation District (ID), designed to transform post-industrial areas into hubs for technology and knowledge-based industries, has placed pressure on housing markets, driving up property prices, displacing long-standing residents and creating a divide between newly gentrified areas and other, more vulnerable neighborhoods.
These developments have contributed to a growing phenomenon of gentrification and segregation across the city, but perhaps no district exemplifies these tensions more than Sant Martí, and attached to it two neighborhoods La Mina and La Catalana in Sant Adrià de Besòs city.

Once an industrial zone with a working-class population, Sant Martí undergone a rapid urban transformation, driven by the same forces that reshape the rest of the city. Urban regeneration projects and location of 22@ ID, have facilitated gentrification and increased economic disparities within the district. Together with several spatial conditions like inactive post-industrial zone and lack of urban continuity it also created a social and spatial segregation.
The aim of this thesis is to propose urban design strategies that foster inclusive development and long-term spatial cohesion.

The resulting masterplan introduces a framework for densification that doubles the area’s built capacity while ensuring housing affordability and social diversity. The strategy includes creating a hierarchy of public spaces that foster interaction; introducing gradual, participatory demolition and redevelopment tactics to minimize displacement; and designing mixed-use building typologies that accommodate both existing and future residents.
Design interventions include reconnecting disjointed street grids, enhancing walkability and public transit, and establishing a clear hierarchy of public spaces that promote cross-neighborhood interaction. The proposal doubles the area's residential capacity—from 8000 to 16,000 flats—and population, from 23,000 to 46,000 people, by increasing the land cover density.

Rather than treating design as a neutral or aesthetic gesture, the project positions it as a political and social tool—a way to mediate between past neglect and future potential. The proposed urban fabric stitches together a fragmented territory through strategic continuity, landscape integration, and community infrastructure. It offers an alternative to top-down redevelopment models by proposing a phased, adaptable, and inclusive vision for growth. In doing so, the thesis reframes urban design not just as a response to physical conditions, but as a proactive mechanism for social repair and collective future-making. ... Read more

The Netherlands, in this case study, Rotterdam is dealing with a growing elderly population, a shortage of healthcare staff, and an increasing risk of dementia. These challenges are worsened by a housing shortage and the lack dementia-friendly housing and living environments. The municipality encourages elderly individuals to remain in their homes for as long as possible; however, current housing and living environment fails to meet the needs of those living with dementia. Moreover, policies such as “zorg en dwang” care and force, which is to protect people who are endangering themselves or others, is taking away the autonomy and freedom of movement of such a person. However, this clashes with the constitution policy that states that everyone is allowed to move freely.
This thesis explores the design of indoor and outdoor spaces that respect the autonomy and freedom of movement of people with dementia. The design vision seeks to integrate public, communal, and community functions with elderly housing, creating a seamless blend of private living spaces and shared environments. Enhancing nature to create a sense of freedom and autonomy. In the early stages of dementia, individuals can still maintain a level of independence but require assistance with daily tasks, which may be provided by family members or caregivers. During this phase, it is vital to support autonomy through well-designed spaces that facilitate social interaction and reduce confusion. As dementia progresses, the design must adapt to ensure environments remain familiar, safe, and accessible while avoiding elements that may cause distress. Personalized spaces, autonomy in decision-making (such as choosing where to eat), and the incorporation of social hubs, like cafes, help maintain identity and a sense of control.
Design guidelines emphasize safety, with wide entrances and corridoors, accessible outdoor spaces, and clear wayfinding to accommodate those with visual and mobility impairments. Community integration is important, with access to public transport, recreation, and services ensuring continued independence for as long as possible. Advocating for the autonomy of people with dementia, by shifting from traditional elderly homes and nursing homes to a design that allows individuals to have the perception of moving freely and remain part of a community while they still receive the care that they need. The importance when designing a building to include a view on nature and social interaction, creating spaces for community activities and social interaction to happen are crucial for autonomy and mobility freedom. ... Read more

The Bloemhof neighbourhood in South Rotterdam faces a critical challenge due to severe soilubsidence, leading to the structural failure of many buildings. This thesis explores how addressing subsidence can serve as a catalyst for sustainable urban transformation while prioritising community continuity and resilience. Unlike conventional redevelopment approaches that often result in displacement, this study introduces the concept of "undisplacement", which seeks to replace housing while preserving the neighbourhood’s social fabric. ... Read more

Since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, people cross the Mediterranean Sea everyday, seeking safety and shelter. Arrival countries like Greece have difficulty to provide all displaced people in their basic needs. One of the most vulnerable among this group are the children. They have experienced war violence, flight dangers and displacement. They arrive at a camp that lacks places to play and develop, is unsafe and unfamiliar. In other words, they lack a sense of home.
This thesis is based on the journey from Syria to The Netherlands, with as transitory space; camp Mavrovouni on Lesvos. The Syrians leave behind a destroyed hometown, a dystopia, and long for a safe refuge, a utopia. Instead they arrive at a camp and have to wait, this place is a heterotopia. The project draws on the parallels between heterotopia and the concept of play, forming the basis for the development of nostopia; a playce that feels like home. This research investigates whether a play-centered approach can transform Mavrovouni into a nostopia.
The three homes along the routes were mapped and analysed to gain insight in their spatial characteristics. Ethnographic research conducted during a field trip to Mavrovouni provided insights into the daily lives of its residents, focusing on their use of space and children’s play behavior.
Findings revealed a pressing need for safety, agency, and belonging. This was broken down into concrete design objectives. By using the objective tree and a conceptual model several visionary scenarios were developed. Patterns were derived from ethnographic insights and further supported by literature, anchoring the scenarios within the spatial context of the camp.
The resulting pattern language is not only accessible to design professionals but also to non-experts through an accompanying game. The initial concepts and requirements for the game are outlined. The scenario maps and pattern language were used to envision an alternate future for Mavrovouni, reimagining it into a playce like home. ... Read more

This graduation comes from a deep interest in understanding why some buildings foster vibrant communities, while others do not. Now that interest in cohousing is rapidly growing, both from grassroots movements and top-down initiatives, grasping the factors that explain why some communities thrive has become increasingly significant. Cohousing may have many advantages from mental health, and informal care to enviromental benefits. Yet it is not simply shared spaces that create these advantages. It is the community itself. The goal of this graduation was therefore to bundle insights on how to design cohousing so that it facilitates community engagement.

A pattern language was developed with the intention of aiding both resident-led initiatives and architects. A pattern language is a network of interrelated design solutions to common problems. After a wide literature review, case studies and in practice testing, a cohousing pattern language was formulated that balances complexity and comprehensiveness. 7 base principles and 40 design patterns explain how architecture can facilitate community engagement. These patterns and principles are integrated into an 8-step framework tailored for the Dutch cohousing development context.

For the design part of this graduation project, the pattern language has been implemented to design an affordable and sustainable floating cohousing building for the Dutch delta. This architectural design addresses the housing and space crisis by exploring the floating frontier of architecture. The floating urban villa may house 5 to 20 people and with minimal adaptions can facilitate a wide range of engaged communities. Up to 7 floating villas can together form a layered cooperative housing community with a layered framework for expression.

There is simple formula or design solution for cohousing so that it facilitates community engagement. Each community, location, and project is unique and requires specific and co-designed solutions. The book may help that process as it has identified abstract principles and concrete patterns that provide valuable guidance for designing spaces that support thriving, engaged communities. These are applicable to a wide range of cohousing lifestyle visions, architectural typologies and contexts. Ultimately, it is up to architects and residents to creatively integrate constraints, principles, context, and patterns to co-create cohousing architecture that facilitates their unique, engaged community.
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This thesis explores the ways in which marketplaces and urban agriculture, can impact access to healthy, affordable food in Bospolder-Tussendijken, a neighbourhood in Rotterdam. With the rise of prosperity-related diseases attributed to poor nutrition, particularly in low socio-economic areas, food prices are increasing. To address these challenges, marketplaces and the integration of food production into urban settings could play an important role in mitigating this issue.

Through a combination of literature review and interviews, a framework was developed to analyze current practices regarding marketplaces and urban agriculture. Additionally, site visits and observations provided typological insights.

The research reveals that historically, marketplaces have been key drivers of urban growth, emphasizing social functions and affordability of food. However, in recent years, there has been a shift towards valuing experience over food itself. Regarding urban agriculture, its primary functions appear to be social, educational, and employment-related. Food production remains predominantly located outside or on the periphery of urban areas. By proposing the creation of a partially covered, multifunctional marketplace, the position of traditional week markets can be preserved for future generations, ensuring continued access to affordable, healthy nutrition. ... Read more

This research addresses the rising amount of homelessness in Rotterdam. Homelessness should be prevented in an early stage to avoid long term health issues. Home-seeking youth fall between the cracks of the system since there is a lack of social support for those between 18-23 years old with no official care indication. Because of this, It is hard for these youth to build a healthy future. The term “home-seeking youth” is used to reduce stigma on homelessness and emphasize their quest for stable housing.

The needs of home-seeking youth are explored in this study, which also considers ideas on how residential housing concepts can effectively address these needs. Research will be conducted through field research involving interviews with professionals, workshops with long-term homeless individuals, and workshops with vulnerable youth in Rotterdam to understand their housing needs and preferences.

The aim is to determine how a residential building can support the physical (socioeconomic security), mental (empowerment), and social (inclusion and cohesion) needs of youth seeking stable housing. Among these needs, social needs seem to play the most important role as they form a safety net for both mental and physical needs. The main need that home-seeking youth have is for a relationship with someone who can offer them unconditional support. Therefore, it is important that housing for youth includes access to an adult who can help them informally.

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Pendrecht is characterized by a great richness in cultural diversity and local initiatives, but these different worlds are spatially separated from one another and invisible for the passerby. They are not articulated in the public domain but instead remain confined to private domains. Left without activity or liveliness, the streets and squares are degraded to meaningless transition zones. This anonymity stands in the way of social cohesion and any sense of belonging or attachment to the neighbourhood. In order to break this downward spiral, an impulse into the public domain is needed that facilitates social and cultural exchange. ... Read more

This study addresses the imperative of enhancing social resilience in urban environments, with a focus on Rotterdam. The city faces diverse challenges, including environmental risks that impact social cohesion. In response, the municipality has formulated a ‘Resilient Rotterdam Strategy’ to bolster the city’s resistibility and recoverability. In this context, the importance of social interaction in fostering resilient communities is underscored, leading to the proposition of introducing makerspaces as “third spaces” to bridge the gap between formal and informal urban life. The study advocates for transforming mono-functional neighbourhoods into multifunctional ones by reintroducing urban manufacturing, particularly makerspaces, to promote social networks and enhance social resilience. ... Read more

Individualism, the trend of prioritising individual interests over group interests, has significant implications for our urban environment, including spatial, environmental, and social unsustainable development. A shift towards collectivism represents a move towards sustainable development from these three perspectives.

This thesis proposes a spatial redesign of the Bospolder-Tussendijken neighbourhood in Rotterdam, addressing the research question: “In what way can the shift from an individualistic towards a collective approach in urban design contribute to sustainable development from spatial, environmental, and social perspectives, focusing on Bospolder-Tussendijken?”

The outcome demonstrates that a redesigned network based on the concept of the commons results in saved space and resources per individual. A neighbourhood designed to accommodate all urban activities can reduce reliance on car traffic, facilitating the creation of green spaces for the collective benefit of the community at the neighbourhood level, as well as smaller communities within. This transformation focuses on creating places of residence instead of places of going.

Sharing becomes the guiding principle, manifested across various scales, from the entire neighbourhood as the largest scale down to individual housing units as the smallest. This approach enables people to form networks and communities across these scales. By creating space for porosity and flexibility, the design accommodates diverse needs, allowing individuals the freedom to arrange locations at different scale levels according to their preferences.
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This research explores the impact of urban design on perceived safety in Oud Mathenesse, a hyper-diverse and vulnerable urban area in the Netherlands. Utilizing a human-centred and interdisciplinary approach, the study aims to provide insights and recommendations for urban planners and policymakers. The primary research question focuses on how urban design can enhance perceived safety in such a diverse context. The study employs qualitative methods, examining the social and physical environments and their influence on residents’ perceptions of safety.

Key findings reveal that perceived safety or subjective safety is not something that is for everyone the same. Therefore a public space must be inclusive and accommodate the different experiences and perceptions. Social factors, such as public familiarity and social behaviour, significantly shape perceived safety. The physical environment, including accessibility, visibility, legibility, and attractiveness, also plays a crucial role. The research highlights the need for inclusive urban design that considers diverse safety perceptions of different user groups.

The study concludes that urban design interventions tailored to the specific needs of Oud Mathenesse can improve perceived safety and overall liveability. Recommendations include enhancing public spaces, creating communal venues, and fostering a sense of community identity. The research emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary methods and human-centred design in addressing the complexities of hyper-diverse urban environments, contributing to the broader discourse on social equality and inclusivity in urban planning. ... Read more