Tracks
HONOURS TRACKS OFFERED by the centre for the just citY
Research projects cohort 2023-2024
Caroline Newton, Roberto Rocco, Juliana Gonçalves
“I am an urban planner, an architect and a political scientist. I’m fascinated by the connections between the social and built environments. “
— Caroline Newton,Associate Professor of spatial planning and strategy and Van EEsteren Fellow
TITLE research project:
Vid Sertsya Budova Initiative
(An integrated territorial development for IDP in Ukraine)
Department: Urbanism
Mentor: Caroline Newton
Topic:
Vid Sertsya Budova
Focused on aiding Ukrainians displaced due to war, this initiative seeks to establish a human-centric space near Kyiv, emphasising opportunities for holistic human development accessible to all income brackets.
Project Overview
The envisioned “city within a city” spans 34 hectares, potentially expandable to 108 hectares, and is situated nearKyiv. With a capacity to house 15,000 individuals across 5,000 residential units, the project prioritises a harmonious blend of work and leisure. It is designed as a self-sustaining, 15-minute city, ensuring all essential amenities are within a short walk.
Expected Deliverables
Contributions can be in the form of detailed reports, urban design proposals, or policy recommendations. Essays exploring the socio-economic and environmental impacts of the initiative are also welcomed.
Contribution & Benefit
Participants will be instrumental in shaping a pioneering urban development project, potentially influencing future initiatives for displaced populations. Their insights will be invaluable in realising a city that not only provides shelter but fosters community, innovation, and holistic well-being.
Research question
Students are invited to delve into the multifaceted challenges of urban planning for displaced populations. This encompasses sustainable development, inclusivity, resilience, and participatory planning. Research can explore housing solutions, social integration strategies, and the economic implications of such a development.
Method
- Literature Review: Examine existing literature on urban planning for displaced populations, focusing on sustainable development, inclusivity, resilience, and participatory planning.
- Case Study Analysis: Analyze the Vid Sertsya Budova project’s design, objectives, and proposed solutions. Compare with other similar global initiatives.
- Stakeholder Interviews: Engage with key stakeholders involved in the Vid Sertsya Budova project, including planners, displaced individuals, and potential residents.
- Policy and Design Recommendations: Based on the findings, propose urban design solutions, policy recommendations, and strategies for social integration, economic development, and environmental sustainability.
Number of available places:2
“My research focuses on the governance of sustainability transitions, with special emphasis on spatial justice as a valuable framework for identifying spatial inequalities, evaluating policy interventions, and guiding decision-making processes. “
— Roberto Rocco, Associate professor of spatial planning & strategy.
TITLE research project
Benchmarking Spatial Justice
Department: Urbanism
Mentor: Roberto Rocco, Caroline Newton, Juliana Gonçalves
Topic:
Benchmarking Spatial Justice
At the Department of Urbanism of the TU Delft, we conceptualise spatial justice using three main dimensions: distributive (the fair and equitable distribution of the burdens and benefits of our human association), procedural (the justice found in planning and design procedures, the justice in the decision-making process) and recognition (the social recognition and validation of disadvantaged groups’ specific needs, identities, cultural heritage, and experiences). Spatial Justice is a core dimension of transitions to sustainability, encompassing issues such as climate justice, mobility justice, participation, democracy, access and more.
Benchmarking spatial justice involves developing methods and indicators to assess and compare the levels of justice across different regions or communities. It provides a valuable framework for identifying spatial inequalities, evaluating policy interventions, and guiding decision-making processes.
Project Overview
This initiative is part of the Horizon Europe project “UP 2030 Urban Planning and Design Ready for 2030” and the TU Delft Centre for the Just City.
UP2030 aims to support cities in driving socio-technical transitions to climate neutrality by integrating technology, urban planning, and design. Within the project, city stakeholders and local authorities are supported and guided by a consortium of universities, research institutes and technology SMEs to put carbon neutrality on the map of their communities in day-to-day actions and strategic decisions. TU Delft is a Work Package leader in charge of developing a tool for benchmarking Spatial Justice, in collaboration with municipalities, technology SMEs and universities.
The Centre for the Just City is an initiative at the Department of Urbanism dedicated to advancing social justice in the built environment through the lens of spatial justice. https://just-city.org
Students in this honours track will have access to a wealth of data and to city officials from the following cities, and may pick one city in the list to work with: Rotterdam, Lisbon, Granollers, Milan, Belfast, Budapest, Zagreb, Thessaloniki, Munster, Istanbul and Rio de Janeiro. Choosing one of these cities is not mandatory. Students can develop work in their home cities or elsewhere.
Expected Deliverables
Contributions can be in the form of essays, position papers, reports, reasoned and researched urban design proposals, methodologies, or policy recommendations. Essays exploring the literature and practices connected to benchmarking spatial justice are welcome.
As an alternative to writing a position paper, students are encouraged to work on the reporting of the Symposium “Spatial Justice in Practice” (see below), by preparing reports, summaries, critically analytical transcriptions, knowledge clips, and more, including the preparation of proceedings. These activities entail the ability to write reasoned and critical reports and other kinds of text that require research.
Contribution & Benefit:
Participants can contribute not only to the UP2030 project, but also to the Centre for the Just City and the Symposium “Spatial Justice in Practice” https://just-city.org/conferences/practice/ that gathers academic and practitioners from all over the world discussing the identification, description and assessment of spatial justice in a hybrid symposium at the end of NOV 2023.
Research question:
These are possible alternative research questions to be answered on this project. You can choose one or come up with your own.
What are the key indicators and innovative metrics for benchmarking spatial justice in urban development?
This question addresses the development of reliable and comprehensive indicators to assess spatial justice, considering the three spatial justice dimensions (distributive, procedural and recognition) in areas like access to housing, mobility, access to urban services and amenities and environmental quality.
What are the spatial patterns of spatial justice disparities within and between different geographical areas?
Examine the spatial distribution of (spatial) inequities, focusing on the concentration of advantages and disadvantages in specific areas within a region and variations between different neighbourhoods, cities, or regions.
To what extent do spatial justice benchmarks align with principles of sustainability and environmental justice?
Examine the intersection of spatial justice with environmental issues, evaluating whether sustainable practices also contribute to spatial justice and how they impact marginalised communities.
What are the policy implications of benchmarking spatial justice, and how can the findings be translated into actionable recommendations for socially sustainable urban development?
Analyse how research on spatial justice benchmarks can inform policymaking and guide interventions to address spatial inequalities, contributing to socially sustainable cities and communities.
Possible Methods
We do not expect you to use all these methods, but to find the best methods to answer your research question:
- Literature Review: Begin with a literature review to identify existing indicators and metrics used in previous studies related to spatial justice in sustainable urban development. This will provide a foundation for your research and help you understand the current state of the field.
- Expert Interviews: Conduct interviews with experts in the fields of urban planning, geography, sociology, and related disciplines. Experts can provide valuable insights into the key indicators and metrics that are relevant and effective for assessing spatial justice.
- Focus Groups and Surveys: Organise focus groups and administer surveys to gather input from various stakeholders, including residents, community leaders, planners, and policymakers. Their perspectives can help identify indicators that align with the lived experiences of communities.
- GIS and Spatial Analysis: Utilise Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial analysis tools to map and analyse spatial disparities in urban development. GIS can help identify areas with unequal access to resources and opportunities, forming the basis for specific indicators.
- Case Studies: Conduct in-depth case studies of specific urban development projects or neighborhoods to assess their impact on spatial justice. Qualitative and quantitative data collected through case studies can inform the development of indicators.
- Quantitative Data Analysis: Use quantitative data from sources like census data, housing statistics, transportation data, and environmental data to calculate various spatial justice indicators. Common quantitative indicators include income distribution, access to public transportation, and the distribution of green spaces.
- Qualitative Analysis: Qualitative research methods, such as content analysis of documents and interviews, can help uncover the underlying social and political dynamics that influence spatial justice in urban development.
- Comparative Analysis: Compare indicators and metrics used in different urban areas or regions to identify best practices and variations in spatial justice assessment. Cross-regional comparisons can highlight the context-specific nature of indicators.
- Community Mapping: Engage communities in participatory mapping exercises to identify areas of concern and potential indicators. Community mapping can provide valuable qualitative data to complement quantitative measures.
- Multi-Criteria Analysis: Apply multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) techniques to assess spatial justice by considering multiple indicators simultaneously. MCDA allows for the integration of various quantitative and qualitative metrics.
- Policy Analysis: Examine urban policies and planning documents to understand how policy decisions impact spatial justice. Evaluate whether existing policies align with spatial justice goals and identify areas for improvement.
- Synthesis and Deliberation: Organize workshops or deliberative forums with stakeholders to prioritise indicators and metrics based on their relevance and importance in the context of urban development.
Number of available places: 3