Merten Nefs

Email address: nefs@ese.eur.nl
Phone: +31 (6) 25133560
Room: Mandeville room T19-37
Address: Burgemeester Oudlaan 50
3062 PA
Rotterdam

Biography

Merten Nefs studied architecture and urban planning at TU Delft and has been working on strategic spatial-economic projects at Erasmus UPT since 2023. He recently completed his PhD research, Landscapes of Trade. Previously, he worked at design agencies in the Netherlands and São Paulo, as well as at the think tank Vereniging Deltametropool. He also teaches (guest) courses at various institutions, including MCD, TIAS, TU Delft, Hogeschool Rotterdam, and the Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam.

Expertise

Merten is a spatial researcher and planner with a background in design and a particular interest in the intersection of space and economics, working in collaboration with national, regional, and local governments, as well as the private sector. He enjoys applying (geographic) data analysis, data visualization, and cartography in his research, combined with interviews and other methods. Additionally, he has experience writing scientific, professional, and news articles, as well as organizing debates and other events.

Main Research Areas

Urban and regional development
Logistics space usage and urban logistics
Business parks and the circular economy
Essential industries
Business climate in relation to landscape

Space Requirements for Essential Industries
This study analyzes, based on literature and data, which sectors are essential and what their spatial footprint is on water-bound industrial sites with a high environmental category in the Rotterdam – The Hague metropolitan region. Several of these sites will be transformed into housing and other uses in the coming years. The report highlights the resulting demand for expansion and replacement, the policy dilemmas that arise, and the most promising solutions.
Status: Completed
Duration: 2024-2025
Project Partners: Metropolitan Region Rotterdam – The Hague and Roots Policy Advisory
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Landscapes of Trade
PhD research on the growth of the logistics complex of the Netherlands since 1980. The study analyses the spatial pattern of distribution centres and the underlying policy, actor network, social debate around ‘doom’ and the possibilities of planning for a sustainable (circular) logistics complex.
View the interactive map here
Status: Completed
Duration: 2019-2024
Universities: TU Delft and Erasmus University
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DISCO - Sustainable urban logistics
European project on implementation of zero-emission urban logistics, based on the Physical Internet concept. Erasmus UPT specifically focuses on using underused terminals at the city's periphery for sustainable last-mile logistics (DISCO-BAY).
Duration: 2023-2025
Project Partners: Horizon Europe, CERTH, FIT, Gent, Kopenhagen, Thessaloniki, BUAS and others
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The Right Company in the Right Place
What if not only current space demand but also future societal needs determine the filling of business space? This study defines five aspects of Rotterdam's essential economy and maps them spatially: Fundamental Economy, Practical Work, Sustainability, Digitalisation and Circular Economy.
Duration: 2023
Project partners: Municipality of Rotterdam, Neo Observatory, Roots advies and SKBN
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Location Characteristics of Circular Businesses
This study analyzes the location requirements of companies operating in the circular economy. Circular activities are categorized into reducing raw material consumption, replacing materials with biobased alternatives, extending product lifespans, and high-value material processing. The study compares the characteristics of thousands of current business locations with the location preferences indicated by companies through a survey. It provides policy recommendations for spatial and economic strategies to promote circularity.
View the interactive map here
Status: Completed
Duration: 2024
Project Partners: Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (in collaboration with IenW and EZ), Rienstra Policy Research and Advisory, IPO, VNG, SKBN, VNO-NCW, Metaalunie, and various municipalities and companies.
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Perspective Map of the Gelderland Logistics Corridor
This project focuses on the visual representation of the provincial vision for the logistics corridor in Gelderland. Key trends and uncertainties in freight transport and the development of logistics real estate are presented through data-driven infographics. Additionally, spatial challenges and key considerations are illustrated in a perspective map. Both components contribute to the provincial decision-making process and the integrated spatial vision for Gelderland.
Status: Completed
Duration: 2024-2025
Project Partners: Province of Gelderland and Ana Luisa Moura

Read the vision and analysis: Publicly available from late April 2025

Read the report