This thesis focuses on the critical gap in understanding and operationalizing social sustainability within URPs, in the context of private-led developers. While the significance of social sustainability is acknowledged, its application in urban development projects, especially by private-led developers, remains underexplored. This research aims to bridge this gap by exploring how social sustainability objectives are assessed and documented within the context of urban transformation projects. The main research question will be: “How do private-led urban developers interpret and implement social sustainability in URPs, and how do these interpretations impact communities from the perspective of both developers and end-users?”. The research primarily employs a qualitative approach, using literature review, document analysis and semi-structured interviews with experts and residents. Two case studies, Le Medi and The Hudsons, situated in Rotterdam's Bospolder neighborhood, were selected for comparative analysis. The selection of the projects, developed by the same developer, ERA-Contour, but at different times, provides insight into urban planning strategies and their effects over time. Findings show that both projects emphasize social well-being, quality of life and sense of place, addressing various aspects of social sustainability. However, challenges remain, including perceptions of living in a bubble and limited integration with the broader community. Despite municipal guidelines to attract new populations, integration efforts are gradually evolving, with community initiatives showing promise. Analysis of the case studies reveals the strong influence of public and semi-public parties, especially municipalities and housing associations, in shaping urban development agendas. The collaborative nature of Dutch urban governance is considerable. This collaborative nature of Dutch urban governance and its transition to people-centered regeneration underscore the importance of community involvement and bottom-up approaches. The developer's profile, exemplified by ERA, reflects an integrated approach with a focus on concept development, community engagement and on long-term social welfare enhancement. Both projects demonstrate a commitment to design quality and strategic decision-making aligned with the neighborhood context, although the approaches to social inclusion somewhat differ. The study concludes with a theoretical framework that summarizes indicators and contextual factors of social sustainability in URPs. This framework provides a valuable tool for analyzing and understanding the implementation of social sustainability by private developers in URPs. Further research is needed to explore the effectiveness and implications of these strategies for promoting inclusive and equitable urban environments for other types of private-led developers.

Within architecture, design is not always inclusive. This research looks at how a safe space can be developed in Rotterdam, in the neighborhood Coolhaven. To achieve this, a feminist community-based design approach is applied. In this method one designs together with the community, looking at the residents of the neighborhood and what their needs and wishes are. The research shows that the people who have mixed feelings about the neighborhood indicate that this is, because they feel unsafe in the neighborhood. By tackling the unsafe areas and getting the residents more involved with each other and the neighborhood, presumably more people will start to feel good about the neighborhood. This can be done by improving visibility, atmosphere, and the liveliness of the street. In addition, physical, safety, and social indices will improve when residents become more involved with each other and the neighborhood. This could be achieved by placing more community facilities. A modern community center can, therefore, be the translation for the development towards a safe space in Coolhaven.