// About POLIS
POLIS IS A STUDY ASSOCIATION FOR MASTER STUDENTS SPECIALISING IN URBANISM AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AT THE FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT (A+BE), TU DELFT.
It is an open platform for communication between students, academics and professionals involved and interested in the study of the urban, rural and infrastructural environment and landscapes.
Since 1989, POLIS aspires to bridge academics with real life practice and aims at examining contemporary urban issues and trends to create space for creative dialogue. It is seeking possible answers through knowledge sharing among an ensemble of interdisciplinary participants by organising events like Urbanism and Landscape Week, Big trip and releasing a quarterly magazine Atlantis along with other activities. POLIS wants to establish this ‘give and take’ by facilitating interactions that help students in academic growth and helps professionals opportunities to interact with fresh ideas from the in a university environment.
// Board of 2024
Jakob Pesendorfer
Co Chair
Servus, Grüezi und Hallo from Vienna, Zurich, and Munich, where I spent the past few years in academia and practice before arriving in Delft for my master’s in Urbanism. My name is Jakob, and I have a background in Spatial Planning from TU Vienna. As one of the two Chairs, I enjoy bringing together people with great ideas and seeking collaborations beyond BK. From large to small scale, urban to rural, and road cycling to good coffee spots, I love observing the constant transitions in our environment to respond with environmentally and human-centered design ideas.
Juli Osusky
Co Chair
Salü, I am Juli and co-chair of Polis. Coming down from the mountains of Switzerland to this flat place, I was drawn here by the combination of systematic approaches, blended with design and the human element in urbanism. I believe we as students should be active with what’s happening at TU Delft, which is why I’m super excited to work with my fellow students on shaping this year of Polis in fun and interesting ways. But sometimes I also like to flee Delft to travel around Europe and explore museums or cookbooks. If you have any question or wish to discuss stuff about Polis, Urbanism or life in general, get in touch :)
Jing Spaaij
Secretary
Hoi! Néih hóu, I'm Jing. This year, I'll be taking on the role of secretary and assisting with the Atlantis magazine and PR tasks—exciting and dynamic responsibilities. I was born in Guangzhou, China, and raised in The Hague, Netherlands, from the age of 10. I spend my free time cooking, watching movies and anime, playing (board) games with friends, or going to the gym. In the complex field of urbanism, the topics of biodiversity and spatial-social stigmatisation interest me the most. I am curious to see what this year will bring and am looking forward to collaborating with the diverse and motivated new board of Polis!
Ian Lu
Treasurer
嗨~, Hoi! I’m Ian! Born in Taiwan and raised in the Netherlands, my journey has allowed me the privilege of experiencing diverse cultures firsthand. This has fueled my passion for human-centered designs in urbanism. Previously, I served as a Business Manager in a student team, where I practiced my skills in teamwork, leadership, and marketing. Now, as your new treasurer on the Polis board, I’m eager to master the details of managing finances and understanding legal work. This year, I’m looking forward to fostering teamwork and enhancing our community through effective communication and proactive problem-solving. Let's make this a fantastic year together!
Feline Kaaij
Outreach
Hoi, I am Feline and this year I will be in charge of partnerships. During my Bachelor's at TU Delft, I was drawn by the perfect blend of design and planning of urbanism, so that became my Master of choice. In addition to studying, I stay active through sports, work, travel and organizing events. This year, my goal for Polis is to strengthen the ties between the landscape and urbanism communities to create opportunities for collaboration and growth. Whether you’re interested in partnering with Polis or are a student wanting to explore opportunities, let’s meet up and grab a coffee.
Evgenia Vamvakousi
Public Relations
Γεια σας (“YAH-sas”), I’m Evgenia and for the next year you will find me behind our social media and other exciting stuff. I grew up in Santorini, an island of South Aegean (yes, the one with the white-blue settlements). After spending some years studying and working in Thessaloniki, I am currently settled at the Urbanism track at TU Delft, captivated by its focus on the symbiotic interplays between nature and humanity. Although my hometown is known for its bustling tourism, when there you would find me in the hidden beaches of the island, overlooking the sea, always accompanied by my dog. Though the context changed, my habits remained the same - now enjoying the blues of the North Sea.
Mahaa Ejaz
Atlantis
(!ہیلو) Hello! I am Mahaa, and this year I’ll be the Editor-In-Chief of Atlantis magazine alongside Wiebke. I’m from Karachi, Pakistan, where I studied and worked as an architect. My experience there sparked my interest in urbanism, particularly in focusing on the socio-economic aspects of planning and design. I enjoy working on various scales, from intricate details to broader environmental impacts. I love cats and the sun, both of which are rare to find in the Netherlands, and I’m very excited about all the new things we plan to explore through Polis and Atlantis!
Wiebke Stadtlander
Atlantis
Hallo! I am Wiebke, one of the main editors of Atlantis magazine. Being able to combine my background in carpentry, architecture and urban planning with diverse social and environmental perspectives at different scales led me to pursue my Masters in Urbanism. As a result, I spend most of my day thinking about ways to make our built environment more equitable while including intersectional perspectives. When I need a break to recharge, you can find me relaxing at X, meeting friends, or exploring exhibitions and hidden spots in the bustling streets of Rotterdam. This year I'm looking forward to increasing the visibility of Atlantis and including more student projects alongside professional contributions. If you have something to share, please don't hesitate to get in touch and help us further diversify the magazine with your unique perspective!
Ganesh Umasankar
Education
வணக்கம் (Vanakkam) I’m Ganesh, born and brought up from this beautiful city called Chennai in India. I just love observing spaces, consuming media, listening to music and understand how we coexist. This is something that made me pursue Urbanism. I believe that a better Urbanist is someone who can observe, analyse and react aptly. This process is subjective, so does everyone’s experience here in the masters program. As I represent students of Urbanism and Landscape architecture in the Board of Education, I would very much appreciate you, to approach me to discuss how the curriculum/your experience here, influence your growth and discuss on how we could make it better and inclusive. Let’s make it just for everyone!
Isabella Jaramillo
Events
Hola hola! I'm Isabella, an architect from Cali, Colombia, a city bursting with life and known as the salsa capital of the world. I love music and dance, which are big parts of our vibrant culture. Before coming to TU Delft, I worked with communities in Cali, giving me a unique outlook on my profession and life. I'm very aware of inequalities and social imbalances, which drive my passion for participatory and inclusive methodologies with an intersectional perspective. I love meeting new people, exploring different cultures and food, enjoying music, and dancing. I’m an energetic, enthusiastic, and open-minded person, and I joined Polis to share my ideas and help everyone have a great year full of academic and personal growth, and lots of fun. I hope we can all have a great time this year with the upcoming events! Esoooooo!
Ziyun Zhou
Trips
大家好!Hello everyone:) My name is Ziyun, and this year I‘ll be in charge of the Trips with Juli together.I come from China and I'm pursuing a master's degree in urbanism. I have a passion for discovering food and music from diverse cultures around the world. For me, travel is not just about exploring new places, but also about embracing the diversity and differences that make our world unique. It's an opportunity to connect with new friends and create lasting memories. I hope that the trips organized by POLIS will inspire you to embark on your own future journeys. I'm looking forward to exchanging ideas and creating unforgettable experiences together!
// Board of Advisors
POLIS is supported by the Board of Advisors that constitutes of working professionals in the domain and faculty members from TU Delft. The BOA members meet once every two months with the Board of POLIS for progressive updates and advice.
Victor Munõz Sanz
Assistant Professor, TU Delft A+BE
Víctor Muñoz Sanz is Assistant Professor of Urban Design at TU Delft. His work examines the design and socio-spatial implications of the past, present, and future of work. Previously, he was: fellow at the Akademie Schloss Solitude; coordinator of the Jaap Bakema Study Centre and co principal researcher of Automated Landscapes at Nieuwe Instituut; and emerging curator at the Canadian Centre for Architecture. He coedited the books Automated Landscapes (Nieuwe Instituut, 2023), Roadside Picnics: Encounters with the Uncanny (dpr-Barcelona, 2022), and Habitat: Ecology Thinking in Architecture (nai010, 2020). Muñoz Sanz holds a degree and a PhD in Architecture from ETSAM, and a Master of Architecture in Urban Design from Harvard University.
Nico Tillie
Researcher, TU Delft A+BE
Nico Tillie holds a Ph.D. in Synergetic Urban Landscape Planning - liveable low carbon cities- from Delft University of Technology. He teaches landscape architecture and urban ecology. He has worked on urban ecosystem governance in Rotterdam and nature based solutions in climate adaptation planning. specialisations are : landscape architecture, garden design and planting schemes, urban planning, urban ecology, ecology, botany, urban energy transition, low carbon cities, climate adaptation, urban densification and greening, city data, urban metabolism.
Kevin van Der Linden
Senior advisor mobility, City of Rotterdam
Kevin is a senior mobility advisor at Gemeente Rotterdam. He strives for a pleasant and beautiful environment in which the quality forms the basis for new developments and leads to innovative and integrated solutions for the future. As a creative urban professional, Kevin works with a wide variety of organisations, thriving complex projects forward. His colleagues characterise him as critical and ambitious, with strong organisational skills, quick witted, communicative, very skillful, tactical and comfortable in a leadership/coordinating role while attentive to others.
// Find us
We are located on the first floor in the West wing of the TU Delft Architecture faculty.
Room 01.West.350
TU Delft, Faculteit Bouwkunde
Visiting Address
Building 8
Julianalaan 134,
2628 BL Delft
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 5043,
2600 GA Delft
The Netherlands
POLIS, podium voor stedenbouwkunde
KvK-number: 40398302
Stichting POLIS Activiteiten
KvK-number: 41146449
POLIS
ATLANTIS
atlantismagazinetudelft@gmail.com