A.L. Nillesen

Prof.dr.ir. A.L. Nillesen is a **Professor of Urban Design** at the **Department of Urbanism**, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), affiliated with the **Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment**. Her work focuses on the impact of societal transitions (climate change, mobility, circularity) on urban systems. She applies an integrated systems approach, combining soil/water systems, ecological networks, material flows, and logistics to design adaptable urban strategies.

As founder of Defacto Urbanism, she bridges academic research and practical design through a 'what if' methodology, exploring policy impacts via scenario-based design. Her teaching emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, showing students how to address complex urban challenges across scales. She advocates for flexibility in design to accommodate evolving societal needs.

Her research integrates data interpretation challenges in both data-rich and data-scarce contexts, often involving multidisciplinary stakeholder workshops. She emphasizes the evolving role of experts in integrated urban projects and promotes interfaculty collaboration at TU Delft.