Shared Spaces, Shared Lives
Imagining the Integration of natives with refugees living in Isolated Temporary Asylum Shelters through Common Spaces of Interaction
H. Sivakumar (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
Verena Balz – Mentor (TU Delft - Spatial Planning and Strategy)
Birgit Hausleitner – Mentor (TU Delft - Urban Design)
Herman Vande Putte – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Real Estate Management)
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Abstract
Migration within the European Union (EU) is becoming a complex phenomenon driven by various social, political, economic, and environmental causes. While migration is an ordinary event, vulnerable groups such as asylum seekers, refugees and irregular migrants often face significant hardships and risks throughout their journey. In recent years, the EU has grappled with unprecedented pressure of irregular migrants in its external borders, leading to strict border controls and externalisation of migration management with third-world countries. With this, there is severe stress in housing, healthcare, labour markets, and education in individual countries with the sudden increase in population with diverse cultural backgrounds. Discrimination, xenophobia, and political shifts towards far-right ideologies have also posed challenges to the humane treatment of these vulnerable groups. This raises questions about why the E.U. does not want to accept these communities despite its ageing and shrinking society.
This project explores the consequences of migration in the EU, with a particular focus on refugees and asylum seekers. Beginning with an analysis of EU migration policies and attitudes towards refugees, the project focuses on the Netherlands, examining its asylum-seeking process amidst political shifts. The research then aims to imagine the inclusion and integration of refugees living in isolated temporary asylum shelters in cities, using case studies and literature to identify spatial and non-spatial aspects crucial for fostering a sense of comfort and belonging in a new country. By proposing spatial strategies and policies to create opportunities for stronger socio-cultural connections in cities of the Netherlands, the project aims to facilitate stronger bonds between refugees and native citizens. Through a combination of top-down and bottom-up approaches, it seeks to reshape formal regulated interactions, fostering informal settings for everyday interactions. The project's outcomes are evaluated to assess its impact on forming a new inclusive society.