A shift towards Collectivity

Abstract

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.