Project R-16339

Between Drawing and Dialogue: Towards a Negotiation-by-Design Model for Monitoring and Guiding Value-creation in Socio-Ecological Transition Projects. (Research)

Across Europe, environmental and planning policies address the growing pressure on the built and unbuilt environment. These transitions involve complex multistakeholder negotiations between public authorities, private developers, and spatial experts, often driven by conflicting interests. In Flanders, particularly within smaller municipalities, such negotiations tend to unfold in ad hoc and intuitive ways, leading to misaligned processes and missed opportunities for value creation and spatial quality. This doctoral research explores models from Design Studies and Negotiation Studies to develop a Negotiation-by-Design Model, a framework for monitoring and guiding negotiation dynamics in socio-ecological transition projects. By using a design-research methodology, the aim is to enable integrative collaboration by positioning design at the center of negotiation, fostering collective learning, redefining the role of architects, and ultimately enhancing spatial and urban quality through a more effective, value-driven, and design-led negotiation culture.

01 January 2026 - 31 December 2029