Dr. Machiel Van Dorst

Biography

Machiel van Dorst is a professor of Environmental Behaviour and Design. His main focus of teaching and research lies in the interaction between the environment, behaviour, and urban landscape design. Van Dorst studied architecture and environmental psychology in Eindhoven and joined the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment at Delft University of Technology as a researcher in 1997. He has concentrated on the social aspects of sustainable urbanism and completed his doctorate in 2005 on creating a sustainable and livable residential environment. His research does not explicitly attempt to draw relationships between design and the environment, instead, he focuses on how basic needs within densely populated areas like Buenos Aires, Jakarta, Amsterdam, and Shanghai can be met amidst competition for outdoor space and mobility challenges. Van Dorst emphasizes the importance of understanding the relationship between built environments and people's subjective well-being, raising questions about how spatial qualities in streets and parks can facilitate user well-being. He is set to become the scientific director of the Resilient Delta Initiative in March 2025 and will also hold the title of Medical Delta professor in April 2025, furthering his commitment to creating sustainable technological solutions in care.

Research Interests