The Summer School Planning and Design for the Just City will take place between 06 and 17 JULY 2026 at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment of the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.
APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED. The NEW APPLICATION PERIOD STARTS IN NOV 2026.
NEW APPLICATIONS PERIOD STARTS IN NOV 2026.
Please check this link for details on how to apply and participation fees. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write to Summer School TU Delft.
The CENTRE FOR THE JUST CITY at the Department of Urbanism of the TU Delft and the Chair of Spatial Planning and Strategy organise the Summer School Planning and Design for the Just City every July.
The CENTRE FOR THE JUST CITY is a dynamic platform situated within the Department of Urbanism at TU Delft. This innovative hub brings together a multitude of initiatives that are intricately linked to the exploration and advancement of critical research and pedagogy on the concept of SPATIAL JUSTICE. By fostering a collaborative environment, the Centre engages with diverse perspectives and endeavours to unravel the complex interplay between space, fairness, and equity, with an emphasis on governance via a number of initiatives. This platform not only facilitates the exchange of knowledge but also seeks to inspire transformative ideas that contribute to the ongoing dialogue surrounding the creation of more inclusive and equitable cities.
This Summer School COMBINES spatial planning, urban design and environmental technology to tackle issues of spatial justice, sustainability, and climate adaptation in urban transitions to sustainability.
It invites students to put SPATIAL JUSTICE at the centre of urban development and to understand the theories and practices that bring together spatial justice and sustainability, and to apply the knowledge acquired in the elaboration of a vision and a spatial strategy and design for an area in the city of Delft in the Netherlands.
The Summer School focuses on theories of Spatial Justice and Social Sustainability as bedrocks for overall sustainability. It also highlights the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and The New Urban Agenda, launched in Quito in 2016, as well as the European Green Deal as frameworks for sustainable urbanisation.
The aim of the Summer School is to explore the integration of spatial justice and sustainability into urban development within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals, the New Urban Agenda and the European Green Deal, and to explore the Dutch tradition of planning and design with water.
The Summer School is organised by the Centre for the Just City in partnership with the schools of Architecture and the Built Environment (also known as (BK) and the school of Technology, Policy and Management (TPM) of the Delft University of Technology, in collaboration with the Delft Design for Values Institute, the TU Delft Global Platform, as well as national and international partners, including the City of The Hague, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, the Dutch Delta Programme, ARCADIS, Deltares, the City of Delft and other private and public partners.
This school includes site visits, talks with professionals and academics and a short studio-based exercise, where students and teachers will explore possibilities through the elaboration of a spatial vision, the design of a spatial strategy and spatial interventions in a Dutch city located in one of the most important Urbanised Delta Regions of the world.
TU Delft is one of the world’s leading schools of architecture and urbanism . We are located in the city of Delft, in The Netherlands.
Please, visit the entire WEBSITE to learn more about the Summer School.
what is the just city for you? Students have their say
Above you can see the 2025 programme. The programme varies by year, but you can use the 2025 to see how the Summer School works and what it contains.
To have a glimpse at how the Summer School works, please read the 2022 report.
For more information, please write to Summer School TU Delft and mention “Summer School Delft”.
The Summer School contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals 4, 11, 13. SDG 11 is about Making Cities Inclusive, Safe, Resilient and Sustainable. We believe that by addressing SDG 11, we can tackle all other SDGs.
We are exploring the mutually reinforcing relationship between urbanisation & development through the lens of spatial justice.
Summer school
We believe that cities should be planned and designed with people, not merely for people. Through site visits, conversations with communities, hands-on workshops, and collaborative design exercises, we invite participants to explore how urban futures can be shaped through the lens of spatial justice. This means not only pursuing a fair distribution of the benefits and burdens of urban development, but also ensuring meaningful participation in decision-making and recognising the diverse identities, experiences, and aspirations that make every community unique. By bringing together students and professionals from around the world, the Summer School creates a space where theory, practice, and lived experience come together to imagine more democratic, sustainable, and inclusive futures.