Soil as a Guiding Principle in Planning and Design - Research behind the SPADES Project
by Sophia Arbara 1, Laura Thomas 1 & Taliah Dommerholt 2
1: Delft University of Technology
2. Institute for Urban Excellence
This presentation was part of iUE’s webinar Soil Functions and Related Ecosystem Services for Sustainable Cities, held in June 2025.
iUE’s webinar Soil Functions and Related Ecosystem Services for Sustainable Cities explored the vital role of soil functions in building sustainable urban and regional planning strategies. It featured experts from Latin America and Europe, who gave insights into how soil considerations are being integrated worldwide. The event was organised in collaboration with the SPADES (Spatial Planning and DEsign with Soil) project.
About the Author
Sophia Arbara (Greece) is an architect, urban designer and researcher. She has a PhD from Roma Tre University. Her work explores the intersections between urban design, ecology, and cultural landscape studies, aiming to address socio-ecological challenges and unveil both familiar and untold narratives through spatial approaches. Currently, she is a post-doctoral researcher at TU Delft, and she is part of the Delta Urbanism research group and the EU-funded Horizon Europe SPADES project. Her research focuses on the role of food and soil systems as spatial agents in shaping territorial and local dynamics, particularly in environmentally vulnerable regions.
About the Project
Spatial Planning and DEsign with Soil (SPADES) strives to promote soil-inclusive planning strategies that combat soil degradation and enhance ecosystem resilience. It has 17 pilot sites in 10 EU Member States, covering different land use contexts such as urban, peri-urban and rural areas.
