PhD Fellows

Sara Rachdan

Beneficiary Placement:

Amsterdam University Medical Centres

PhD Topic:

Impact of evidence-based co-creation of the urban environment together with youth

Bio:

Sara Rachdan is an architect and spatial planner with an MSc. in Spatial Planning from the Technical University of Dortmund, focussed on inclusive planning spanning over facets, such as socio-economic equity, ableism, and age-based prejudice regarding mobility. Throughout her life, Sara has been immersed in many different cultures and languages, which has especially helped her with communication and empathy while working with those of diverse migrant backgrounds. Thus, she has a demonstrated history of researching spatial justice and neighbourhood development pertaining to low in-come and migrant communities with a special focus on developing engaging urban environments for children and youth within these communities. Prior to her master’s studies, Sara had worked as an architectural designer in Istanbul, Turkey, where she had earned her bachelor’s degree in architecture. Over the course of her careers, she has always pushed for the necessity to put children and youth at the forefront of the design of urban space, as she firmly believes that environments suited to children are both safe and suited for everyone regardless of their ability, age, ethnicity, income, or gender.

“Throughout my career, I’ve learnt that our lifestyles are greatly influenced by our environments. Thus, developing activity-friendly, stimulating environments inspiring movement and creativity at an early age would lead to more happy, healthy, active adults. What stood out to me most in the Health CASCADE project was the focus on underserved communities, as this demographic has always been the center of my research interests. I believe being more inclusive of underserved communities is key to sustainable development. Through the Health CASCADE Project, I will be grant me the opportunity and the superior resources to contribute to the research on the impact of evidence-based co-creation with youth. Thus, I am excited to learn more about co-creation and collaborate with all those involved in making a difference.”