“Rootedness is perhaps our most fundamental human […] need”
- Simone Weil, French Political Activist and Philosopher
Yet our systems nor our places adequately acknowledge or nurture this need, to the detriment of our (collective) wellbeing.
As a municipal adviser, I was dismayed to see how the creativity, empathy and agility needed to make places meaningful are routinely lost amid procedures and politics. At the same time, I felt increasingly unsettled by wider changes around me — from the destruction of our natural world to our tendency to make places bland and interchangeable.
This ultimately led to an intense burnout. During my recovery, I decided to dedicate myself to making things better.
Shaping
Not imposing a rigid design, but gently responding to what a place needs as it changes over time.
Places
From homes and gardens to villages and entire landscapes, every scale has its own character, needs and potential.
People
Good placemaking recognises our inherently anthropocentric mindset: we shape places around our (emotional) needs, and care for them accordingly.
Care about
Helping places reflect the care people already have for them, or creating the conditions for people to develop that connection and care.
Together
Truly meaningful places require collaboration. I bring together the people, perspectives and expertise needed to make each project succeed.
From soaked wellies to placemaking expert.
Who I am.
I grew up in the countryside with a hands-on approach to exploring my surroundings, often returning home with boots filled with ditch water (a kletspoot) and a distressed frog in my hand. Despite my mum’s exasperation, not much has changed: curiosity, experimentation and getting stuck in are still at the heart of how I work.
Over time, I became an expert in regional identity. Uprooted from the rural idyll I grew up in, I spent much of the last twenty years studying, moving and travelling between places. The landscapes, heritage and communities I encountered along the way fuelled my obsession with what it means to have a place that feels like yours.
It’s taken me in many directions: from a travel concept based on a hundred-day road trip around Britain and Ireland, to excursions and workshops to guide development of the Reitdiep river and Wadden sea coast. I’m now putting my insights into practice at my own countryside home in the Netherlands.
I draw inspiration from all sorts of places, people and experiences, such as exploring the North Norfolk salt marshes with the Coastal Exploration Co., design workshops with Elle Kemp, quiet walks through the gardens of Borg Ewsum, and of course the writings of Simone Weil, whose thinking deeply influenced me.
Finding meaning in (unexpected) places.
How I work
I strive to cultivate three insights, every day.
Belonging
I am connected to this place.
Continuity
Others came before me, others will come after me.
Stewardship
Therefore I have a responsibility to care for it.
There’s three ways in which I do that.
Inspire
What makes a place evoke belonging, continuity and a desire to care for it? Understanding this is fundamental to a project’s success. I help uncover those qualities and use them to give a placemaking journey direction.
Shape
What should a specific place look like? I help translate feelings, insights and ambitions into anything from big-picture visions and visualisations to practical ideas and concrete next steps.
Connect
Who should be involved in the creation of a place? Whether it’s a like-minded community or expertise, I help in finding the right people and perspectives and bring them together around a project.
I adhere to ten guiding principles.
Character — making a place feel lived-in and well-used rather than designed.
Slow Living — creating places that encourage presence and rootedness.
Heritage — respecting the stories and traditions already embedded in a place.
Habitability — ensuring a place works practically for the people who live in it.
Natural Materials — using authentic, high-quality and durable materials.
Hand-made — valuing local craft as a way of making places feel human.
Regeneration — Recognising and honouring that we are part of nature
Collaboration — recognising the value of a variety of perspectives.
Coherence — ensuring every part contributes to a meaningful whole.
Personal — giving today’s people a part in a place’s story.
