Students Discover the City and Themselves during the Soft City Symposium

This collaboration with Haag Wonen, Staedion, Leiden University, TU Delft and Erasmus University brings together students, housing corporations and knowledge institutions to build an inclusive, livable city.

“This symposium gives students the opportunity to learn in practice, while housing corporations gain new insights and residents benefit from concrete initiatives in their neighborhood,” explains Stephan van Berkel, lecturer at The Hague University of Applied Sciences and organizer of the event.

Interactive Thinking

Ishani Nakorikantodas, a fourth-year architecture student at The Hague University of Applied Sciences, participated in the symposium and was immediately inspired: “This gives me a unique chance to learn how older adults experience the city and how we can design public spaces inclusively.” During the symposium, she attended workshops, including a creative assignment using LEGO to depict a “soft city.” “It was an interactive way to reflect on the impact of greenery, water and the layout of public spaces on different target groups.”

Experiences Matter

Ishani experienced the event as a valuable addition to her studies. “In class we learn a lot about buildings and technology, but now I saw the effect on social cohesion. Meeting spaces are incredibly important for older adults and strengthen the neighborhood. Their experiences matter in the design process.”

The symposium demonstrates how education, research and the city can reinforce one another. By sharing knowledge, ideas take shape, and the city benefits directly from the efforts of students and professionals.

Empathy

Finally, Ishani shares a message for students who want to participate next year: “You really learn to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. In my case, an older person with fewer physical abilities. By seeing how someone else experiences public space, your empathy grows. You may already know that in theory, but experiencing it yourself truly makes it sink in.”