Lesley Thoen

The encounter

Neighbours by nature

In a world where human actions leave traces everywhere, the concept of nature is becoming increasingly complex. In the Anthropocene, the geological epoch in which human activity and natural processes are deeply intertwined, the boundaries between nature and culture are fading. Can we still coexist harmoniously with others? 

How can we, as landscape architects, respond to this blurring of boundaries? Especially in the Netherlands, where everything has been carefully planned and human influence is present everywhere. Instead of maintaining a strict separation between city and landscape, perhaps we can use these new insights to develop a more symbiotic relationship. 

For some time now, a lively debate has been taking place about post-war residential neighbourhoods, in light of the housing shortage and the need for sustainability in the Netherlands. Some advocate demolishing these neighbourhoods and constructing new, sustainable ones that meet modern standards. Others argue for renovation and possibly densification, while building on what already exists. 

The Anthropocene emphasises that our human actions have significant consequences. Can we mitigate or even reverse these effects, so that habitats are not merely lost, but might actually begin to complement one another? This graduation project explores whether solutions for biodiversity and water management can be integrated into these neighbourhoods, using the adjacent landscape as a foundation. For hidden within many post-war neighbourhoods lies a beautiful underlying structure, a network of green spaces connecting to the surrounding landscape. Yet in much of this greenery, that landscape connection remains barely visible. 

Welcome to De Banne Buiksloot, a residential neighbourhood on the edge of Amsterdam-Noord. Here, the peat meadow landscape and its inhabitants lie just a stone’s throw away, yet little of it can be seen, heard, or felt. My graduation project focuses on facilitating that encounter across multiple scales, drawing on the DNA of the neighbourhood itself. 



Graduation date: 15 September 2025 
Graduation committee: Hanneke Kijne (mentor), Roel van Gerwen
Additional members for the exam: Mirjam Koevoet, Willemijn van Manen