This thesis investigates how careful citymaking, as both a spatial and a processual practice, can support everyday democracy in Rotterdam. At a time of growing democratic erosion and declining trust, public space reflects and reproduces the conditions of today’s democracy. As the space where everyday interactions and encounters take place, public space serves as the platform for everyday democracy. How it is designed and how it comes into being therefore matters.

Using the theoretical lenses of plural democracy and everyday life, the research addresses four key questions; (1) it identifies the main challenges to plural democracy and the role of public space within this context, (2) examines where and how democratic citizenship finds expression in the daily routines of Rotterdam’s citizens, (3) explores alternative democratic futures and their spatial conditions taking Oostplein as its base and (4) defines the meaning of careful citymaking through a spatial design proposal for Oostplein. The methodology combines literature research, fieldwork, participatory methods, spatial imaginaries and iterative design to explore how a spatial designer can act responsibly when shaping the environment of others. These are brought together in both a processual and a spatial response, with everyday democracy as the guiding lens.

The research finds that active citizenship is subordinated to daily routine, constrained by time, obligations and perceived safety. Rotterdam’s public space prioritises movement over encounter, limiting its democratic potential. Yet spatial design can interrupt this and invite people to participate in everyday democratic life, when carefully executed. By mapping conflicting desires and making design decisions open to discussion in an ongoing negotiation, careful citymaking connects spatial design directly to democratic thinking. Here careful citymaking does not emerge as a fixed method, but as a design posture, one that treats public space as a shared responsibility. ... Read more

In the 1999 book Gender Trouble, feminist philosopher Judith Butler first introduced the term “gender performativity.” While the popular feminist belief is that the categories “male” and “female” have biological foundations (sex) but are also socially and culturally constructed (gender), they argued differently. According to Butler, even sex is discursively constructed, and these categories are cultural interpretations of the body. This interpretation is carried forward by continuously repeating various acts—such as dressing, speaking, interacting, and taking on roles—thus creating a natural appearance, as in a performance.

This performance is not completely free, however, but is profoundly influenced by social norms, politics, society, culture, and, in part, the built environment. Even the public spaces we pass through and inhabit every day deeply influence how we act, how we position ourselves in the world, and how our subjectivity is shaped, both internally and externally. From German philosopher Walter Benjamin, who saw the arcades of 19th-century Paris as the physical representation of capitalism shaping the new character of “the consumer,” and the Haussmannian boulevards as symbols of governmental imperial ambitions, to French philosopher and sociologist Henri Lefebvre, who promoted citizens’ right to reappropriate the city from capitalist control, the city has never been a neutral and blank playground, but rather a battleground of interests.

If, as French philosopher Michel Foucault argues, every human relation is shaped by dynamics of power and control, and space is also a product of forces, then the questions of how space is gendered, how the spatial connotations of our cities influence gender performance, and who is marginalized in this process are rightfully asked.

Our cities are still profoundly organized according to an outdated view of gender roles. Women and queer people are disproportionately more at risk of harassment and sexual violence due to gender discrimination, poor lighting conditions, and unsafe areas. Transport systems prioritize commuting patterns associated with male workers, and gender-binary spaces continue to separate people, physically and beyond.

In this context, the Northern Italian region of Veneto represents an interesting case with strong potential. Presenting a typical example of la città diffusa (the diffuse city) landscape, where medium-sized service-oriented cities are separated by strongly agricultural and industrial conservative small centres, gender norms can still be clearly read in the urban fabric.

Therefore, this thesis argues that, in the context of a deeply political and gendered public space, facilitating—through time- and space-aware urban design—a freer and safer performance of gender for those who do not fit the current normed status quo would would implement the aforementioned would “right to the city” theory by Lefebvre.
“right to the city” theory by Lefebvre. ... Read more

Public spaces in Indian metropolitan cities are often UNdesigned but regulated through universalized planning frameworks that inadequately account for socio-spatial diversity, informality, and lived experience. In Delhi, these limitations are intensified by extreme density, migration-driven heterogeneity, and layered histories of spatial control. This thesis examines public space not as a fixed physical entity but as a socially produced condition shaped through the interaction
of regulation and everyday use. Grounded in critical urban theory, including Lefebvre’s production of space, everyday urbanism, and theories of spatial and recognitional justice, the research adopts a qualitative, design-led methodology centered on mapping, drawing, and observation. Focusing on a neighbourhood-scale case within the National Capital Region, the study analyzes how public spaces are delimited through formal controls and informal practices, and how these
processes shape experiences of belonging and exclusion. Through layered analytical and interpretive drawings, the thesis reveals the relational, temporal, and negotiated nature of public space and proposes speculative design insights for engaging with hyper-diverse urban contexts. Rather than offering universal solutions, the research contributes a situated methodological approach for understanding and rethinking public space in cities like Delhi. ... Read more

This thesis explores how urban design can engage with Indigenous spatial practices to challenge and reshape Western spatial structures in Greater Melbourne and support coexistence between Indigenous and non-Indigenous spatial systems.

The project begins from the observation that contemporary Melbourne (Naarm) has largely been shaped through settler-colonial planning systems that transformed Indigenous Country into a city organised through Western spatial logics. While Indigenous relationships to Country continue to exist throughout the metropolitan region, they often remain spatially fragmented, overlooked, or invisible within the contemporary urban landscape. This phenomenon of Indigenous invisibility forms the central challenge addressed within this research.

The project adopts a mixed-method approach combining literature review, Indigenous scholarship, spatial analysis, fieldwork and research-by-design. Through a comparison of Indigenous and contemporary spatial systems, the research investigates relationships between Country, Songlines, ecological systems, governance structures, settlement patterns, and urban spatial organisation. This comparison identifies the Birrarung (Yarra River) as a critical metropolitan contactzone and reveals contemporary Melbourne not as a landscape disconnected from Country, but as a contemporary expression of Country itself: a form of Urban
Country in which ecological, social and cultural systems persist, while their relationships are increasingly influenced, negotiated and mediated through contemporary urban conditions.

Building upon this understanding, the thesis explores contemporary Urban Country through a series of design investigations situated within three settler-colonial conditions: the inner-city, the suburban and the periphery. Rather than seeking a singular design solution, these explorations examine how relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous spatial systems are negotiated across different metropolitan contexts. Through this process, a set of recurring spatial questions emerges, revealing opportunities to support coexistence through forms of representation, recognition and restoration across contemporary Melbourne.

These questions are subsequently translated into a regional framework and supported through an Urban Country pattern language that enables their exploration across different scales and contexts. Together, the thesis can be read as a set of guides for engaging with Indigenous spatial practices in contemporary cities. Rather than understanding coexistence as a fixed condition or final outcome, the thesis approaches it as an ongoing process of negotiation, adaptation and mediation. In doing so, it invites urbanists to continue interpreting, testing and developing these ideas in response to different communities, urban conditions and forms of Country. ... Read more

Contemporary housing crises unfold within a broader socio-ecological crisis, as housing systems influence resource consumption, wealth distribution, and everyday urban life. Dominant housing regimes increasingly treat housing as a financial asset rather than a social good. In this context, cooperative and commons-oriented housing initiatives have gained attention as potential alternatives to dominant market-based housing provision. This thesis investigates how such initiatives operate as prefigurative practices within neoliberal urban regimes and to what extent they can contribute to socio-ecological transformation while remaining embedded in the institutional, economic, and political systems they seek to challenge.

The research is based on an in-depth case study of the Grüner Weiler housing cooperative in Münster, Germany. Drawing on an abductive mixed-methods approach, the study examines how residents organise collective everyday life and negotiate the tensions between transformative ambitions and structural constraints.

The findings show that Grüner Weiler functions as a prefigurative commons-oriented housing initiative, experimenting with alternative ways of living together. At the same time, the project remains embedded within wider relations of power, inequality, and regulation. Grüner Weiler emerged not through withdrawal from existing structures, but through active engagement with them. The research suggests that transformation through prefigurative politics takes place not outside existing systems, but through the continuous interaction between alternative imaginaries and structural constraints.

Building on these findings, this thesis develops a pattern language for commons-oriented urbanism and introduces the concept of nested communities, translating insights from situated experiments into transferable urban knowledge. Ultimately, the thesis argues that the transformative potential of such prefigurative housing initiatives lies not in offering scalable solutions, but in creating tangible spaces where alternative ways of living together can be imagined, practiced, and continuously renegotiated. ... Read more

Amid escalating global energy crisis, geopolitical instability, and climate crisis, the urgency for a systemic transformation of the energy regime has become undeniable. Historically, ports have functioned as critical nodes in resource extraction, the circulation of fossil fuels, colonial expansion and economic growth. However, migrant workers – a substantial part of the port’s labour force – are excluded from port prosperity and future development. Understanding the port of Rotterdam as a sacrifice zone where environmental degradation and socio-spatial inequalities are not only concentrated, but produced and organised beyond the port itself, reveals that decarbonisation efforts must address the underlying extractivist structures.

Adopting a critical position, this project understands fossil fuels as a structuring framework that has historically organised spatial, economic, and political relations across global port systems. In this light, it asks: How can the Port of Rotterdam be spatially restructured to transition from an extractive fossil circulation hub toward a polycentric port model that supports global decolonisation?

A speculative design approach – grounded in critical, transition and decolonial theory – reimagines the port beyond fossil logics. Employing a crisis-driven transformative scenario methodology, it politicises the current energy crisis and uses socio-political conflicts as drivers of structural change. The authors propose a shift toward a polycentric energy system, redistributing energy and economic infrastructures across South Holland to reduce dependencies, material throughput and the spatial concentration of power. This shift supports living heritage, community building, retraining, and ecological repair as core programmes of the new urban development. Energy commons are implemented as a spatial and institutional framework to dismantle private control of energy systems and to empower migrant workers as key agents in the transition.

By uncovering the colonial underpinnings of the port’s development, this project repositions the energy
transition as part of a broader systemic transformation. It demonstrates how a port territory can be reconfigured from a sacrifice zone into a polycentric, socially just energy landscape – one that not only
decarbonises but also redistributes power and resources, contributing to more equitable and inclusive
futures. ... Read more

In Colombia, the expansion of self-built neighbourhoods is driven by displacement, rapid urbanization, and entrenched structural inequality. In cities like Cali, self-built neighborhoods have become a critical response to the failure of formal housing systems, offering shelter to displaced communities, migrants, and the urban poor. Despite their longevity and contribution to the city’s social fabric, these neighborhoods remain largely excluded from urban policies, which favors a limited set of communities based on legal and technical criteria. This exclusion reflects a broader capitalist planning paradigm that prioritizes economic interests over social and territorial justice.

Yet in the absence of institutional support, residents of self-built neighborhoods continue to construct and care for their territories through collective organization, resilience, and shared values. Practices rooted in solidarity, care, and autonomy give rise to alternative forms of urban life that challenge dominant planning models. This research analyzes the trajectories of self-built neighborhoods in Cali to identify both the structural barriers that must be transformed and the territorial values that can guide more just, community-driven forms of urban planning. It argues for a redefinition of planning and design practices grounded in the social production of habitat and the right to the city, from below and with dignity. ... Read more

Currently, the world is in a state of radical uncertainty, pressing the importance for strong democracies more than ever, in order to make sure decisions are made in a socially and environmentally just manner. However, in the past years, a global trend of democratic erosion has been identified. This trend is threatening even the older, well-established democracies. In the Netherlands, a growing distrust towards politicians has been identified as well. Solutions to restore this distrust and to bring citizens and government together, have a hard time addressing all different groups in society and are causing even more frustration among citizens. The main question this research focuses on is the following:

‘How can spaces for a radical pluralist democracy be identified, designed and used, in the context of The Hague’

In order to tackle the issue of democratic erosion, and to offer solutions to prevent the continuation of this phenomenon, this research proposes an exploration of the concept of the radical pluralist democracy, through a spatial lens based on Critical Urban Theory, by focussing on the role of the designer and by implementing a research by design method through Radical Spatial Imaginaries, resulting in a list of 10 critical reflections.
... Read more

This thesis explores how the built environment can be designed to offer the potential to be activated by young, fluidly housed adults in Brussels—a group that continuously navigates unstable living conditions, from temporarily staying with friends or family, to occupying squats, to occasionally sleeping on the streets.

The project adopts a mixed-method approach, placing active processes of care and collective agency at its core.

It begins by contextualizing the broader issue of ‘homelessness’ and the specific urban conditions in Brussels. Building on this, the thesis uncovers the socio-spatial realities of young fluidly housed adults through a needs-based approach. Using literature review, ethnographic mapping, and informal conversations, it identifies eight key satisfiers and four interconnected systems that have the potential to improve liveability for this demographic.

These socio-spatial needs are then spatialised using three methods. First, ethnographic mapping in Schaerbeek West and the broader ‘Poverty Crescent’ identifies existing socio-spatial conditions with potential for bottom-up activation. Second, pattern language is applied to connect observed patterns of care and resistance with the previously defined satisfiers, enabling these insights to be scaled across multiple levels while highlighting the top-down actions needed to support grassroots initiatives. Third, environment-behaviour studies—specifically angular choice and angular integration analysis—are used to identify five key intervention sites within Schaerbeek West and to operationalize this process that can be applied in other contexts.

In the final phase, design explorations are carried out in the five identified locations to test how the previously defined patterns can be applied to shape the urban fabric through careful interventions. These explorations aim to create environments that young, fluidly housed adults can actively engage with and adapt to meet their needs—demonstrating how the built environment can foster more just and adaptable spaces that form an infrastructure of collective care and agency, ultimately improving the liveability of young, fluidly housed adults in a tangible way.

Addressing the housing crisis requires both long-term, top-down reform and immediate, ground-level action. While this approach does not resolve the systemic challenges of the housing crisis, it enables urgent, bottom-up improvements in liveability by placing young, fluidly housed adults at the center—as agents of care driving this transition. Both pathways are essential: one demands time, while the other can begin right now.
... Read more

This thesis explores how spatial design could support the Saharawi -the indigenous population of Western Sahara- in their struggle for self-determination. By doing so, the research radically questions the colonial, patriarchal, and Eurocentric legacies embedded in the design practice itself. Such a critical approach recognises that conventional planning frameworks, shaped by Western epistemologies, often reproduce the very hierarchies they claim to dismantle. This tension is reflected in the honest portrayal of a research process of a Western woman investigating a non-Western struggle. Therefore, the project initiates from reflecting on concepts of privilege and responsibility through a process of vulnerability and radical honesty (Griffiths, 1994).

For the Saharawi, who are nomadic matriarchal descendants, the issue lies not only in the material conditions of displacement and occupation, but also in the epistemic erasure of their voices and their indigenous practices of resistance. In this context, design can offer solidarity by prioritising listening, amplifying counter-narratives, and taking responsibility within one’s own environment. Based on fieldwork in the Saharawi refugee camps in Algeria, the findings reveal ‘matriarchal spatial patterns of resilience’: practices of horizontality, care, and continuity that offer a radical vocabulary for imagining otherwise (Miraftab, 2021; Ortiz, 2023). These patterns are not objective truths, but rather interpretative fragments of knowledge. They are Saharawi lived practices that can, on the one hand, spark radical imagination and, on the other, resist epistemic erasure. By naming the matriarchal patterns, they become imaginaries of hope for dismantling global and local power dynamics, taking shape as ‘activist design’. Not only does this form of ‘designing for justice’ reject conventional hierarchies, it shifts the focus from outcomes towards establishing relationships. This became clear during the studio for the winterschool ‘Justice by Design’ at the academy of Amsterdam. After enacting the patterns, the students -all from different backgrounds and previously unaware of the subject- reflected on the experience with increased feelings of empathy, justice, and personal emancipation. They concluded that radical change is lived and practiced through horizontality, and confirmed the potential of the patterns as tools for decolonising design imagination and practices.
Aligning with feminist, decolonial and activist design discourse, this thesis explores how matriarchal spatial patterns can be used as a foundation for rethinking spatial practices and design conventions (Escobar, 2018; Murray & Daly, 2023). It argues that decolonial design is not about products but about the process: an ongoing practice of critical reflection, unlearning, and cultivating hope. This work is not a model to be replicated but an invitation: to question, to imagine otherwise, and to recognise that resistance is also care. Ultimately, it is a call to amplify silenced narratives, such as that of the Saharawi. The process was imperfect and at times uncomfortable; however, it was precisely in this vulnerability that a process of epistemic resistance was made possible.
... Read more

The Brussels-Capital Region (BCR) exemplifies a paradox of urban complexity: home to Europe’s political center and progressive policies, yet persistently struggling with social housing shortages and a high number of homeless individuals. Against the limited public social housing and a private rental market shaped by the homeownership-led housing market in the BCR (Costa & De Valk, 2018), this research proposes to develop a transitional housing stage that can mitigate the housing problem of Belgian nationality roofless people, ultimately enable them to transit more quickly and stably into the regular housing market.

The thesis is grounded in a theoretical framework that explores how social segregation among roofless individuals is reinforced by stigmatization, housing filtering, and Flanders' long-standing obsession with homeownership. It argues that securing housing justice is essential for regaining full citizenship, ultimately reducing social segregation. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research combines quantitative with qualitative analysis, drawing from 21 interviews with experts, roofless individuals, and local residents. Participants were asked to evaluate the key spatial indicators necessary for reintegration and assign weighted scores to their importance. These factors—such as the number of markets and stores by each monitoring district, were then mapped at the BCR level to create a Reintegration Supportiveness Index for Belgian nationality roofless people.

Based on the results, targeted transitional strategies are proposed for selected districts that have relatively low Reintegration Supportiveness Value, focusing on: (1) Stakeholder collaboration to enhance different actors to involve in neighborhoods activities; (2) Flexibility in housing typologies to unlock potential transitional housing spaces; (3) Needs-based spatial improvements at the neighborhood level to improve city space for roofless people to have more opportunities to interact with neighbors and receive more systemic supports. By implementing the housing strategy, the thesis not only offers a way to reduce rooflessness, but also creates opportunities for various vulnerable groups to participate, ensuring that everyone has a place to call home, access to stable housing, and a better chance to integrate into society. ... Read more

This thesis explores the role of spatial planning in improving both access to and the quality of pedagogical learning environments in socioeconomically segregated neighbourhoods in The Hague, with the overarching aim of promoting systemic equity. It starts from the recognition that children in The Hague face substantial disparities in educational opportunities due to persistent socioeconomic segregation. These divisions not only limit access to high-quality learning environments but also reinforce cycles of inequality from an early age. While the connection between neighbourhood context and educational outcomes is increasingly acknowledged, integrated research and policy responses remain limited.

Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, the study combines theory, spatial analysis, and anecdotal evidence to examine how segregation shapes educational opportunity. It is structured around three phases: analyse, expose, and propose. The analyse phase develops a theoretical and spatial understanding of segregation in The Hague, tracing its origins and implications for children’s access to educational opportunities. The expose phase highlights lived experiences of growing up in segregated areas in The Hague, using theory, mapping, and socio-spatial analysis to bridge discourse and reality. The propose phase formulates a framework for intervention, outlining spatial and procedural objectives for improving learning environments. These objectives are synthesised into a structured set of strategic actions, intended as a practical and adaptable guide for evaluating and implementing improvements. The approach is inspired by the logic of a pattern language, though it does not follow it strictly.

To ground these strategies, the study includes neighbourhood zoom-ins of exemplary learning environments in The Hague that demonstrate the framework’s practical application. Together, the research reveals the systemic roots and spatial expressions of inequality in the urban landscape, offering planners and policymakers targeted strategies to mitigate segregation and foster more inclusive, enriching environments for all children.
... Read more

The mobility sector was responsible for 17% of total CO2 emissions in 2022 (CBS, 2024) and more than half of that was attributed to private cars. At the same time, public transport costs have increased (Durand & Krabbenborg, 2024), and services are limited in rural areas, (Hamers et al., 2014) resulting in mobility poverty. This is not an isolated issue. CO2 emissions cause climate change and sea level rise (National Delta Programme, 2023). Greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced drastically, partly through an energy transition in the mobility sector. Thus, increasing mobility justice, transitioning towards sustainable energy and dealing with sea level rise, have to be approached in an integrated manner.

This report uses spatial justice and mobility justice as lenses to look at mobility and the energy transition in Noord-Holland. These transitions are approached from the perspective of commuters, both human and non-human. A conceptual framework is formulated, to assess the level of mobility justice, both in the current and envisioned situation.

Based on the radical perspectives of five different commuters, a combined vision is created, in three layers: nature, mobility and energy. Key vision goals are creating a safe energy landscape, transitioning away from fossil fuels in the mobility sector, adapting to living with water and creating mobility justice for all commuters. To reach this, new modes of transport are introduced, a shift away from private ownership of cars towards shared and public transport is encouraged and self-sufficient energy zones are introduced.

The vision is supported by a strategy. Policies are implemented on the layers of nature, mobility and energy. The transitions are spread out over three main phases: the first to prepare for a fossil fuel-free mobility sector, the second to prepare for flooding and the third to move towards mobility justice.
... Read more

The current energy transition efforts in the Netherlands are insufficient to achieve a healthy society. The Netherlands Climate Agreement 2030 goal to reduce climate emissions by 50%, is projected to not be met unless more drastic measures are taken (Corder, 2024). In this report, the first step taken to achieve this is the mandated removal of fossil fuels. The removal of this industry in the port of Rotterdam is the catalyst for change that shapes a health-based strategic vision for the port and the surrounding Rijnmond region.

To achieve this vision, research was conducted to determine strategic interventions to be taken related to the necessary energy, climate and societal transition. The research specifically identifies the workers of the region as the transition community that is most negatively impacted by the removal of fossil fuels from the port. The research methods used include fieldwork, a literature review to define “health”, action mapping on a 100 year timeline, and analysis on relevant policy, spatial planning, and stakeholders.

The health framework created focuses on preventative measures, and includes the built, natural, mobility, and social environment. Radical imagination and theory on “degrowth” principles were also used to develop the vision. Ultimately, by dividing the port of Rotterdam into zones that each have their own identity based on our health principles, a 100 year strategy was created for a regenerative port, and in turn, a healthy region, that future generations can enjoy and take pride in.
This report defines a “healthy future” vision that can serve as an example for future regional planning efforts and policies. This example is not only applicable in the Netherlands but in all fossil fuel transition landscapes and communities, and not only for workers, but for all living beings.
... Read more

The current direction of energy production in the Netherlands will not reach the goal of climate neutrality by 2050. Existing methods are insufficient, storage is lacking, and space is scarce. Meanwhile, farmers bear the responsibility of consistently changing climate policies, facing uncertainties, and the NIMBY mindset blocks the drastic transformation of agricultural areas. The current profit model of energy suppliers demotivates local participation in realizing solutions. Rethinking the relationship between land, energy, community and politics, can transform these challenges into a bold and innovative approach that bridges these sectors.

By 2125, agricultural land will produce and store all green energy of the Netherlands and farmers will hold a secure position within a sustainable urban-agricultural system. Eliminating the current profit model of energy suppliers will result in a kickstart for local participation while balancing the spatial demands of renewable energy and the identity of agricultural land.

To address structural problems at the core, a radical approach is necessary, which results in working with several disclaimers over a timeframe of 150 years. A review on ethical considerations and defining a theoretical foundation, supports comprehensive decision-making throughout the project. By implementing the spatial qualities of the Dutch landscape in the definition of bioregions, the strategy can implement suitable energy production methods on agricultural lands surrounding our cities, to provide the local energy and food demand. Through investigating the possibilities of innovative technologies of energy production, ecological farming strategies and a restructured social contract, this project provides a strategy towards a local energy system.

With a case study of one of these cities, the project illustrates further spatial implementations and design possibilities, phasing movements and interventions to the year 2175. By addressing not only spatial and ecological needs within the energy transition, a social equitable path is provided, challenging the current state of affairs. The research concludes in proposing an energy transition with farmers perceived as the solution, while reshaping rural-urban relations in the future. ... Read more

The Dutch energy transition is often framed through a narrow focus on technological fixes like solar panels and wind turbines. Yet this perspective ignores a deeper structural issue: the high levels of energy consumption embedded in daily systems—particularly the food supply chain. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Rotterdam/The Hague metropolitan region. This area functions as a critical artery in the globalized food system, encompassing the Port of Rotterdam, the Westland greenhouse cluster, and vast consumer populations. These interlinked zones form a linear, fossil-fuel-reliant network that impacts not only the climate, but also local communities, from underpaid migrant workers and overstressed farmers to urban dwellers disconnected from food origins.

The project responds to this challenge by reimagining the food system through the lens of degrowth and circularity. Its main goal is to shift away from global, high-energy supply chains toward a locally rooted, community-based food economy. This vision centers on spatial transformation: reshaping how food is grown, distributed, and consumed across urban and rural geographies. It calls for a redistribution of energy and resources, not only in physical space but also in terms of social equity and environmental justice.

The strategy involves the development of an alternative scenario: a Local-Circular-Degrowth model. This stands in contrast to the dominant Global-Linear-Growth trajectory, which continues to concentrate production and increase emissions. In the degrowth scenario, energy demand is radically reduced by localizing food production, shortening transport chains, and integrating food into everyday spatial practices. Urban areas begin to accommodate shared gardens, rooftop farms, and local distribution hubs. Former logistic corridors evolve into community harbors and multifunctional public spaces. Neighborhoods are designed to support co-living and co-farming, enhancing resilience and fostering community bonds.

This transformation unfolds over a century, guided by four timeframes—25, 50, 75, and 100 years. Each phase introduces specific interventions, starting with education for new-generation farmers and ending with the repurposing of regional harbors into hubs of food sovereignty. Crucially, the process involves a diverse set of actors: local farmers, policymakers, retailers, migrant communities, and citizens, all working collaboratively to co-create a just transition. By framing food, energy, and land as shared commons, the project envisions a future where prosperity is measured not in growth, but in the health of communities and ecosystems. ... Read more

Despite the steady growth of the Kenyan economy, poverty rates remain high and informal settlements keep expanding. The economic and spatial inequality in the country is increasing. The informal settlement of Kibera, in Nairobi, is the largest in Kenya and struggles to establish sustainable socio-economic development for its residents. The aim of this research is to unravel the causes for the persisting socio-economic disparity and how they can be overcome. This is achieved by investigating a bottom-up approach of development by means of the concept of community capital. The result is an inclusive urban strategy to promote sustainable socio-economic development in marginalised communities. The research consists of an exploration of the theory of community capital, combined with physical, socio-economic and political analysis. It involves explorative research to methods to effectively achieve development. Essential to the creation of the strategy, is the establishment of a community-based approach, which is key to effective and sustainable co-production. The strategy is composed of several spatial interventions, which can be implemented inside the settlement. They include shared plots, active streets and community centres. Their main function is to enhance the creation of community capital, through building trust and a sense of community among residents, while providing basic services and public space. Improved community capital leads to better collaboration, higher levels of safety and a stronger political voice. These elements are fundamental for enabling sustainable, socio-economic development and diminishing inequality in the city. ... Read more

Informal settlements in Greater Cairo house a large portion of the population, who face increasing social inequality and environmental vulnerabilities. Manshiet Nasser, a desert settlement east of Islamic Cairo, is one such area struggling with challenges like environmental hazards and limited infrastructure. The Zabbaleen community plays a vital role in Cairo’s waste management by recycling approximately 80% of the city’s waste, yet their contributions often go unrecognised. This research explores how urban design can achieve environmental justice for the Zabbaleen, focusing on creating a safe, healthy, and clean environment while positioning the community as drivers of change.

The study examines Manshiet Nasser’s connections to Cairo’s broader context, the daily routines of the Zabbaleen, and the perspectives of various stakeholders on the community’s living and working conditions. Findings reveal significant risks from environmental hazards, marginalisation, and conflicting priorities among stakeholders. A pattern language approach was used to design interventions that adapt the urban fabric, support community development, and optimise the recycling chain. These patterns connect findings from analysis and literature to participatory and context-based design strategies.

The proposed urban design addresses key challenges by cooling the urban environment, diversifying waste business opportunities, and reducing health hazards. Stakeholder involvement is essential for translating aspirations into interventions and negotiating conflicts. While achieving environmental justice requires physical upgrades and mindset changes, this research highlights the potential of informal communities to lead change. The project aims to inspire designers and policymakers to envision alternative development pathways for more equitable urban futures. ... Read more

This thesis investigates the practical connection between health-promoting evidence and the spatial design of blue spaces. This endeavour aims to develop instrumental resources that facilitate the integration of the health benefits of natural environments into actionable strategies, thereby augmenting the development of design research and enhancing understanding of the nature-health nexus. The research methodically examines three interrelated aspects: understanding the academic contexts and methodological preparation from the design perspective, development of qualitative and quantitative design knowledge for fulfilling health benefits of blue spaces, and applications and reflections on proposed knowledge through design workshops and interviews. Initially, the thesis outlines the relationship between blue space and health from a design perspective, identifying a significant, unexplored gap. It then proposes a methodological framework to translate health-promoting evidence of blue spaces into design knowledge for practices. Subsequently, this thesis employs interdisciplinary techniques, integrating both qualitative and quantitative approaches, to generate varied types of design knowledge, including distilling worldwide precedent cases, summarising diverse geospatial and visualisation tools, and translating site-based evidence using spatiotemporal crowdsourcing data. The effectiveness and usability of the proposed knowledge are evaluated through design workshops, complemented by expert interviews across various fields, providing insights that reflect on the research outcomes and suggest future directions. Overall, by focusing on the interactive relationship between research and design, the principal contribution of this research lies in its attempt to translate theoretical evidence from public health into practical design interventions, exploring the potential of interdisciplinary tools and methods in facilitating this process. ... Read more

My design focuses on creating a community space in Kanarya, Istanbul, with two main goals. The primary goal is to establish a safe space that provides all the necessary tools which are needed after an earthquake disaster. The residents of the neighborhood can come together in the self-sustaining building, which serves as a gathering point (based on the AFAD designated areas) after a disaster to have a safe space, away from the probably destroyed city. Later the building will facilitate the community with its “healing” character and give the community the space to recover after a disaster. The second goal is to use the proposed building before a disaster occurs. The reasoning behind that is so that communities can get familiar with the facilities, and create memories and a sense of belonging to the place. The building design, of a community kitchen, in the neighborhood Kanarya (before the disaster) contributes not only to the daily lives of residents but also to the overall development of the are by creating employment opportunities and facilities that attract people from neighboring localities. The community kitchen aims to provide inhabitants with a daily goal that aligns with the community’s needs. Keeping these requirements in mind, the community kitchen in Kanarya will include a market area and workshop spaces. Here, residents will be able to grow food, cook together, start small crafting projects, such as knitting, and have the opportunity to sell their creations, which aims to provide economic growth within the community. Many design decisions made during the design process are primarily based on the experience of people after the earthquakes on the 6th of February 2023 in Kahramanmaraş. This knowledge was mainly acquired during my work for the Architectural Recovery Team, a foundation created with fellow students to reconstruct long-term housing after the disaster. Besides that, my design decisions are based on the research conducted about disaster preparedness and the psychological influences of space to create a resilient city. ... Read more