René Kleijn

PhD Researcher: Environmental Impacts of Spatial Demographic Change at Leiden University’s Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) and Faculty of Science is a research project at the intersection of demographic change, spatial analysis, and environmental sustainability. The project examines how spatial population distribution, population ageing, smaller households, and urban form combine to shape future resource demand and greenhouse gas emissions. The research is designed to identify trade-offs between the efficiency benefits of urban density and the environmental consequences of vacant buildings and underused infrastructure in depopulating regions. The PhD researcher will develop high-resolution activity demand models for building and transport sectors under spatially refined European demographic scenarios, link these projections to material flow and life-cycle models, and quantify implications for energy use, material intensity, and emissions. The work also includes assessing adaptive reuse and circular strategies for vacant buildings and transport infrastructure, and designing integrated spatial planning scenarios for high-wellbeing, low-resource pathways across urban and rural contexts. You will be based at CML, a collaborative environmental science institute within Leiden University that emphasizes sustainability research, interdisciplinarity, professional development, and a supportive academic environment. The faculty context adds a broad scientific setting and access to an international research community at Leiden’s Bio Science Park. The project is especially relevant for students interested in geospatial and environmental analysis, urban and regional development, and the environmental implications of changing population structures.