dr. ir. S. Christiaanse

I am a spatial researcher with a collaborative and transdisciplinary approach. I use insights from geography, environmental psychology, behavioural economy and sociology to understand how people cope with changes in their direct living environment. I have a design-background and have mostly worked on research projects that are commissioned by local or regional governments, in which stakeholder engagement and impact are key aspects. I enjoy giving interactive workshops, tours, talks, lectures and visual dialogues as part of engaged research projects. My research interests relate to a variety of aspects that influence how people perceive, cope with, and adapt to societal and spatial issues.

Currently, I am currently working with Prof. Tillema on challenges in Transport Geography. We will investigate the experience and importance of changes in accessibility on different spatial scales and translate this to useful policy recommendations for the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. This relates to discussions about the accessibility of facilities and the quality of life in rural areas, since local facilities often have a social and symbolic function, while other facilities have a more regional or supra-regional character. This builds on insights from my PhD-research into the perception of rural facility decline in the North of the Netherlands.

I use both qualitative and quantitative research methods, but I am particularly interested in the use of visual and co-creative methods that empower citizens to influence the sustainability and liveability of their own living environment and bridge the gap between science and practice.