Luca - Spatial Planning

I got to see how things are being dealt with in a different cultural context.

Having done my Bachelor’s degree in Human Geography abroad, the Master’s programme in Spatial Planning in Utrecht was a great opportunity for me to discover a new point of view on spatial planning. I got to see how things are being dealt with in a different cultural context. It gave me a great insight into current planning debates in the Netherlands. And it showed me once again how diverse this discipline can be as it is very place and issues dependent – the way these issues are handled varies a lot.

The fact that people in our year were a mix of Dutch and international students often made discussions in class more interesting. Everyone could contribute aspects from their different backgrounds. I enjoyed the variety of assessments in the courses, which covered way more than standard exams. This gave everyone the opportunity to focus on the topics they found most interesting.

While always considering theoretical backgrounds, I liked that classes usually had a real-life reference. This made the content more relevant and exciting. Combining my thesis with an internship at the Municipality of Utrecht also made the connection between theory and practice clear. It allowed me to have a look behind the scenes of the city I live in.

Even though a one-year Master’s might seem incredibly short, the professors and guest lecturers were very encouraging and offered a lot of support, which now makes us feel able and ready to start working life and enter the labour market.