Being educated as an urbanist and architect, I emphasize working through the scales, from the city region to the building. In research and education, I work on the interrelation of urban and metropolitan structures and urban programmes. A significant focus of my work is on the spatial dimension of the economic layer of cities and investigating the transformation of urbanization patterns towards circular societies. I approach circularity through an urban morphological lens, exploring how the built environment affords changes in socio-economic processes and/or must transform with changing value chains. In the context of such significant transitions, it is essential to carefully consider the local environmental qualities to achieve or keep livable and just cities.
I am involved in developing multi-scalar and multi-actor analytic and design instruments that enable understanding and transforming urban systems: Pattern languages and guiding spatial structure frameworks. Systems thinking forms the foundation of all the projects I supervise, enabling us to tackle the complexity of urban environments. Preparing adaptable urban conditions is crucial to accommodate emerging and unforeseen urban activities, often driven by dynamic economic shifts, technology innovations and changing demographics.
Selection of graduees supervised in the past years:
- Siene Swinkels (2023). Reframing Brussels’ Canal zone: From path dependence to path renewal. Reframing Brussels’ Canal Zone: From path dependence to path renewal.
- Anouk Jansen (2023) Building resilience: Design strategies in planning for a densified Gelderland
- Lisa Peek (2023). Mix to the Max or Max to the Mix?: Research by design into how spatial qualities and characteristics shape the future of mixed-use business parks in the Province of South-Holland.
- Duijghuisen, Jin-Ah (2022) Textile Landscape: A design exploration to understand the spatial dimensions of a local, circular textile ecosystem in Noord-Brabant.
- Juliette Brouwer (2022) City around the corner: Strategic design interventions to alter the urban rhythm in the peri-urban areas of Rotterdam
- Mae-Ling Stuyt (2020) Make Compact Work: Patterns of densification and intensification of functions in live work environments: Zaanstad, Metropolitan region Amsterdam
- Rebecca Smink (2020) London’s Paradox: Global Inclusion and Local Exclusion: The conflicts between social and economic space within contemporary London
- Jet ten Voorde (2018). Relocating Rotterdam: The task of spatial planning and urban design throughout scales in the context of extreme flood risk scenarios in the Netherlands.
- Francisco Nieto Marin (2017). Sustainable Self, Liveable Net
- Ioana Ionescu (2016). Towards A Territorial City: The case of an Eastern European city and its surrounding territory
For a wider range of projects, please consult the library repository.
Relevant projects and publications of my own research relating to circularity, territorial development and understanding and designing cities from a performative perspective:
Cities of Making JPI Urban Europe Project http://citiesofmaking.com – Project concerned with building up an understanding of and developing (design) guidelines for urban conditions to facilitate manufacturing in European cities. (2017-2020) – (my role: coordination of team TU Delft and lead of spatial-dimension work package)
InPUT JPI Urban Europe Project
Martire, A., Hausleitner B., Clossick, J. (eds.) (2023). Everyday Streets. Inclusive approaches to understanding and designing streets. London: UCL Press.
Hausleitner B., Hill A., Domenech T., Muñoz Sanz V. (2022) Urban Manufacturing for Circularity: Three Pathways to Move from Linear to Circular Cities. In: Amenta L., Russo M., van Timmeren A. (eds) Regenerative Territories. GeoJournal Library, vol 128. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-78536-9_5
Wandl, A, Hausleitner, B. (2021) Investigating functional mix in Europe’s dispersed urban areas. Environment and Planning B. Urban Analytics and City Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/2399808320987849
Unceta, P., Hausleitner, B., & Dąbrowski, M. (2020). Socio-Spatial Segregation and the Spatial Structure of ‘Ordinary’ Activities in the Global South. Urban Planning, 5(3), 303-318. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.17645/up.v5i3.3047
Hill, Adrian V (ed.). (2020) Foundries of the Future: a Guide to 21st Century Cities of Making. With contributions by: Ben Croxford, Teresa Domenech, Birgit Hausleitner, Adrian Vickery Hill, Han Meyer, Alexandre Orban, Victor Muñoz Sanz, Fabio Vanin and Josie Warden. Delft. TU Delft Open, 2020. Download it here
Hausleitner, B. (2019) Mixed-Use City: Configurations from Street Network to Building Plot. in: DASH Home Work City. Publisher: Nai010 publishers. You can access it here
Hausleitner, B., Berghauser Pont, M. (2017). Development of a configurational typology for micro-businesses integrating geometric and configurational variables. Proceedings XI space syntax conference, Lisbon. You can access it here
Berghauser Pont, Stavroulaki, Gil, Marcus, Serra, Hausleitner, Olsson, Abshirini, Dhanani (2017). Quantitative comparison of cities: Distribution of street and building types based on density and centrality measures. Proceedings XI space syntax conference, Lisbon. You can access it here
Hausleitner, B. (2014) ‘Kleinschalige bedrijvigheid als component van vitale steden’, in Meyer, H., Westrik, J., and Hoekstra, M. (eds) Het programma en ruimtegebruik van de stad. Uitgeverij Bom, pp. 108–125
Hausleitner, B. (2012) Re-Using the built material. In book: Recycling City: lifecycles, embodied energy, inclusion, Chapter: PART 3: RECYCLING TERRITORIES, Publisher: Giavedoni editore, Pordenone, Editors: Fabian L, Giannotti E., Vigano P., pp.p. 258-267
Please, take a look at my profile at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Birgit-Hausleitner)