This graduation report presents the reserach and design for a rural settlement system in the Haor region of Bangladesh. This area exists of a unique ecosystem, that is vulnerable to frequent and long lasting flooding. The primary objective of this project is to create a safe and sustainable rural community that can provide residents with a rural place to stay. While also mitigating the effects of rapid urbanization. The rural community should gain economic opportunities for its residents, thereby preventing migration to urban slums and enhancing overall well-being.

The proposed settlement system consists of a network of
interconnected elevated islands that offer protection from floods while maintaining accessibility between them. Each island is
equipped with spaces that can be used for healthcare and education, ensuring these essential services can still be practiced even during future higher floods. The main island will have more services such as additional schools, healthcare facilities, markets and other public buildings. Secondary islands will focus more on residential areas, while special islands will be designated for markets and tourism. The design tries to improve resilience, for example by high building plinths and land reclamation for year-round agricultural activities.

Economic opportunities are enhanced through the creation of
attractive communal spaces that encourage small businesses such as shops and tea stalls. The implementation of pro-poor tourism further enhances income generation options in the form of jobs as well as allowing residents to collectively host tourists and share the generated income. The development of community-led housing cooperatives further promotes social cohesion and economic stability, enabling even the poorest residents to participate in the community and be benefitted from it.

The report begins with an introduction to the challenges of urbanization, particularly in Bangladesh, followed by a concise contextual analysis covering ethnographic, environmental, and climatic data. An examination of the regional context and existing settlements provides insights for the design, which is then detailed from a macro to micro scale. The design process is elaborated from the regional plan to the layout of the main island, the configuration of clusters, and finally the individual units and construction details.

The results of this project include a layout of the interconnected islands on a regional scale. Which is then followed by a detailed layout of the main island with strategic placement of public facilities and residential clusters around shared courtyards. Roads are designed in a DNA-like pattern to control traffic flow and create vibrant neighborhoods with distinct public functions at key intersections. The introduction of renewable materials, such as bamboo, for construction and the establishment of resilient agricultural practices further contributes to the sustainability of the settlement.

In conclusion, this proposed settlement system addresses the challenges faced by rural communities, specific to the Haor region of Bangladesh. By incorporating economic and social initiatives into the design, the project aims to create a livible and resilient place to stay that can be used as a model for other regions worldwide facing similiar challenges.

This thesis investigates whether mapping urban diversity, density, and certain compositions of types of uses can help predict and prevent certain types of crime in urban neighborhoods. Little research is available on the influence of urban diversity on crime. Through literature research, mediating variables like social surveillance and economic growth are found. Data analysis is used to find and test correlations which could be beneficial for city planning ultimately preventing crime. The aspect of mixed use neighborhoods is explored, which is important for the quality of life based on urban diversity by Jane Jacobs. The neighborhoods of Amsterdam will be used to test several hypotheses based on the work of Jane Jacobs. The hypotheses are based on the influence of urban diversity, density and composition of types of uses on certain types of crime and crime in general. One such hypothesis is that urban diverse neighborhoods will have lower overall crime rates but these dense areas may prove beneficial for certain types of crime like pickpocketing. Explorative research has also been conducted by the hand of found anomalies in crime types. Made maps and scatterplots are used to find potential correlations, which are then tested on significance by calculating the Pearson correlation. The results are compared to other big Dutch cities to see if correlations are citybound or hold up nationally. Urban diversity is important for creating vibrant and livable areas, but precisely these vibrant areas appear to attract the most crime.