If you have a special interest in the living environment, and you aspire to combine analytical thinking with creative design, then Spatial Planning and Design is the field for you.
What effects will climate change have on our future cities and rural areas? How can you develop sustainable strategies and designs for new and existing urban systems? How do you deal with a complex built environment and related spatial planning and design processes? Planners are asked to translate spatial transformations into new opportunities to enhance the quality of life.
The Bachelor's degree programme in Spatial Planning and Design (in Dutch: Technische planologie) revolves around physical design and institutional design. The courses relate to spatial planning and design, water management, infrastructure and environmental planning, spatial computer programs, complex decision-making and academic research.
During the programme, you will work in virtual realities, but also go on excursions to see spatial projects in real life. In addition, there will be opportunities to develop your personal interests via the elective course units. Finally, you complete your Bachelor's degree with a research project. And if you aspire to learn more: excellent students can take part in a more in-depth programme at the Honours College, which has a wider range of topics.
As someone who was always fascinated by how people interact and how the built environment has an influence on our behavior and feelings, I decided to study Spatial Planning and Design at the University of Groningen.
In our degree we get many opportunities to deepen our academic knowledge in relevant topics, and at the same time we get a lot of team work experience that portrays the actual working environment of a Spatial Planner. It is a degree that covers not only the planning and designing part but also the history and sociology of it, while being positively challenging without compromising your own creativity.
A highlight of this study are the Fieldworks and Ateliers that will offer you the tools for a great professional skill set afterwards.
- Vanessa Bill
Being fascinated by the built environment, people's interaction with it, and ways to improve and design functional places, I have chosen to study Spatial Planning and Design in Groningen. This degree delves into multiple spheres relevant to today's world, giving students a broad understanding of future career prospects. It teaches practical and academic skills while positively challenging individuals to work in teams as well as individually.
The Netherlands is a great country to explore and learn about the historic evolution of spatial planning. Through multiple fieldwork opportunities offered by the university, students gain hands-on experience in the real world.
- Nina Zrubakova
The thing I like most about the programme, is the fact that it is both practical and theoretical.
I have always been interested in the built environment, the landscape, and how we humans interact with it. I feel like the study Spatial Planning and Design offers a broad view on these topics from different perspectives. During the year, theoretical courses with lectures where you mostly have to do self-study are alternated with practical courses in which you work in group context. An example of these courses are the atelier courses and the fieldworks we go on. By doing these practical courses, you get to see and learn about real life examples of current spatial issues, which is very interesting.
- Mila Kooijman
For our first Learning Community activity of the year we visited the North/South subway line in Amsterdam. A former project manager showed a short film about the plans for the North/South line and how this new subway should be realized. The beginning of the presentation showed that many economic and technical setbacks were faced during this project. All these setbacks have led to the planned opening of the North South line in 2018 (10 years later than initially planned!).
After the film and presentation we went on site to take a look at the infrastructure project. We all got a helmet, a pair of boots and a jacket on for safety. After this we were shown a part of the subway line which still was still under construction. After the tour we got the opportunity to ask some questions and we made a nice group photo. As first year students this was a fun way to learn something relevant to our study programme and got an first impression about where we might end up later in the work field.
Read more about the Learning Communities at Spatial Sciences.
- Arnout de Haan
My name is Zuzana, I am 20 years old and I come from Slovakia. I chose the University of Groningen because the city has a large international student population, which is always an advantage for someone coming from abroad. Most people here speak English, which is accommodating for internationals.
Moving to the Netherlands was easier than I thought. I was able to get a room in one of the student accommodations where I share a building with people from all around the world. It is an amazing experience because I am exposed to many different cultures and manners. As daunting as it sounds, I feel at home now.
The university offers a wide range of extracurricular activities and associations where I was able to meet new people and make friends. The faculty's student association organizes many events that create a welcoming environment for first-year students and unforgettable experiences. Groningen offers a diverse range of facilities that are student-friendly such as cheap sport centre memberships, lively bars and wild nightlife. From an academic perspective, Groningen has a variety of modern and comfortable study places like the Forum, University Library and many study cafés. No matter what type of student you are, you can certainly find your new home here.
- Zuzana
