Rapid urbanization has exerted unsustainable pressures on the environment, and implementing circular economy (CE) in cities has been seen by policy makers as a potential solution for resource scarcity. Scholars have therefore called for an understanding of the spatial aspects of CE that go beyond urban governance strategies, engendering the recent integration of spatial disciplines, such as urban planning and regional economics, into the study of CE.

Using the Netherlands as a case study, th...

Urban form plays a critical role when planning city transitions toward decarbonization. However, in urban climate conditions the complex relationship between urban form and cooling demand remains understudied. This thesis develops integrated approaches and knowledge in the transdisciplinary domain of urban morphology, urban climatology and energy-related fields while addressing the question: ‘How does urban form influence building cooling demand in urban microclimate conditions, and how can...

Urbanized sandy shores around the world suffer from coastal erosion due to a lack of sediment input and sea level rise. These dynamics place new demands on coastal spatial planning. To compensate for coastal erosion in a more natural and systemic way, sand nourishments are deployed as a ‘Building with Nature’ technique, restoring the sediment balance and promoting dune formation as coastal defence.

In this research, Building with Nature is reframed as a landscape approach, regenerating t...