PhD Position on Redeveloping Urban Neighbourhoods Through Community Involvement

We are looking for a PhD candidate who is excited to examine, through living lab research, how the redevelopment and densification of urban neighbourhoods into healthy, and physically and socially sustainable living environments can be shaped together with residents and locally embedded stakeholders.

Your job

The Netherlands faces major challenges in the domains of housing, healthcare, and energy transition. Increasing the housing stock and improving existing residential environments in the coming years, while ensuring a healthy and physically and socially sustainable living environment for residents, is essential to address these pressing issues simultaneously. Much of the construction and improvement of housing will take place in large cities through redevelopment and densification.

This research project aims to investigate how these redevelopments in an existing urban neighbourhood can best be approached through adequate involvement of its residents and other locally embedded stakeholders. Possible research questions are:

• How to organise resident participation?
• How to maintain or increase social cohesion?
• How to design physical and public health interventions adequately, considering needs, capabilities, and wishes of residents?
• How do planned interventions in the physical environment affect the residents’ health?

This research will employ a living lab research approach in Overvecht, a residential area in Utrecht that will be redeveloped and densified over the next two decades. You will work on the crossroad of different disciplines, including Human Geography, Social Design, and Public Health.

This PhD research is part of Gezonde Leefomgeving Utrecht Kennisconsortium (GeLUK), which consists of Data- en Kennishub Gezond Stedelijk Leven (DKH-GSL; of which Utrecht University is one of the key partners), Technohub, Centre of Expertise Smart and Sustainable Cities, KTC Zegveld, Vakcentrum Energie and Kalsbeek College. Researchers from the department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning at Utrecht University and the University Medical Center Utrecht will supervise this PhD research. The objective of the research is to contribute to Werkplaats Overvecht through scientific knowledge. This Werkplaats is a private initiative of housing corporations, large construction companies, investors and developers, working together over the next 20 years to improve the neighbourhood, leading to a healthy, and physically and socially sustainable living environment. Werkplaats Overvecht is an important partner with which the Municipality of Utrecht cooperates within the neighbourhood approach Samen voor Overvecht.

Your tasks will include the following:

• You will design and carry out the living lab research, i.e. research in a real life setting, involving residents and a broad range of other stakeholders as described above. Possible research methods may include, but are not necessarily limited to: in-depth interviews, focus group meetings, storytelling, surveys, and creative participatory methods.
• You will co-organise meetings and collaborate with relevant stakeholders, and in particular actors involved in Werkplaats Overvecht, to discuss research questions, empirical findings and their implications.
• You will collaborate with Bachelor students in a Community Engaged Learning course (City Studio).
• You will publish research results in the form of academic papers, but also explicitly encourage the knowledge gained to have practical impact by sharing and discussing the results with the actors involved in Werkplaats Overvecht and the wider field in which they operate.

Your qualities

We are looking for an enthusiastic, motivated and proactive colleague who brings multiple of the following qualifications:

• a Master’s degree in Human Geography, Cultural Geography, Health Sciences, Urban Studies, Spatial Planning, Sociology, or a related field;
• a strong interest in, and preferably experience with, doing research on how to redevelop urban residential areas and/or the impact of the residential environment on the well-being and health of residents;
• experience with collecting and analysing qualitative data. Experience with living lab research is a plus;
• a high proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in both Dutch (because of the fieldwork) and English;
• intellectual curiosity and high motivation to combine theoretical sophistication with practice-orientation;
• good social skills and effective communication skills with different target groups and stakeholders, in particular with the residents of Overvecht;
• flexibility and good planning and time management skills;
• the skills to work effectively both independently and collaboratively in a team.

Our offer

We offer:

• a position for one year, with an extension to a total of four years upon a successful assessment in the first year, and with the specific intent that it results in a doctorate within this period;
• a working week of 36 hours and a gross monthly salary between €2,770 and €3,539 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU);
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University has a number of schemes and facilities of its own for employees. This includes schemes facilitating professional development, leave schemes and schemes for sports and cultural activities, as well as discounts on software and other IT products. We also offer access to additional employee benefits through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage our employees to continue to invest in their growth. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

About us

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Shaping science, sharing tomorrow.

Utrecht University’s Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth: from the Earth’s core to its surface, including man’s spatial and material utilisation of the Earth - always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.

More information

For more information about this position, please contact Dr Gerald Mollenhorst (Assistant Professor) at g.w.mollenhorst@uu.nl.

Candidates for this vacancy will be recruited by Utrecht University.

Apply now

As Utrecht University, we want to be a home for everyone. We value staff with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and identities, including cultural, religious or ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age. We strive to create a safe and inclusive environment in which everyone can flourish and contribute.

To apply, please send the following information via the apply now button:

• a motivation letter of max one page;
• a full CV, with detailed academic records and qualifications;
• an official transcript of your grades during your Bachelors and Masters studies as well as the diplomas;
• a sample of your writing, e.g., your Masters thesis or other written output of which you are the sole author;
• one name of a referee (for example thesis supervisor) who may be contacted for a letter of reference.

The position will start on 1 May 2024 (or earlier, if possible).