Arctic darkness is increasingly disrupted by expanding infrastructure and artificial light at night (ALAN). Along the Norwegian Arctic coastline, climate change, shipping, resource extraction, and coastal development are extending human activity into spaces and periods historically defined by prolonged winter darkness. While these transformations are often understood through their environmental and economic impacts, less attention has been given to the ecological role of darkness itself. Yet many Arctic species, both human and non-human, rely on seasonal cycles of light and darkness to regulate and structure biological rhythms, biophysical behaviour, and ecological interaction.

This thesis investigates darkness as a critical ecological and temporal infrastructure rather than the mere absence of light. It asks how design can mediate the recognition of darkness as a right of nature, to support ecological regeneration along the Norwegian Arctic coastline.

To address this question, the research develops a multi-scalar framework that combines ecological, spatial, and infrastructural analysis. It examines how terrestrial, aerial, and marine species - including reindeer, little auk, and zooplankton - depend on darkness as a biophysical regulator, and analyses how ALAN generated by shipping, industry, and coastal infrastructure disrupts these relationships. Through a case study of Tromsø, Norway, the thesis develops methods to visualise light and darkness as territorial conditions. Natural darkness is mapped through landscape characteristics such as topography, enclosure, and sky visibility, while artificial illumination is modelled through a designed method visualising coastal light pressure. These layers are combined into an atlas that allows to reinterpret the territory through the lens of light and dark.

The thesis argues that darkness constitutes an ecological condition with intrinsic value that can be identified, mapped, and incorporated into spatial design and planning. By reframing darkness as a subject of environmental protection rather than a residual condition awaiting illumination, it advances a spatial framework for recognising darkness as a right of nature.
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The accelerating impacts of climate change and evolving geopolitical dynamics underscore the urgent need for the Netherlands to transition from fossil fuel dependency towards sustainable, renewable energy sources. Central to this challenge are the nation’s industrial clusters, which not only contribute significantly to CO2 emissions, but are also heavily reliant on fossil-based fuels. Meeting the climate targets outlined in The Klimaatakkoord (Climate Accord), especially the complete elimination of CO2 emissions by 2050, necessitates not only a technological shift, but also a socially inclusive transition that accounts for the workers and communities embedded within these industrial regions.
This project proposes the large-scale implementation of green hydrogen as a key strategy in achieving social goals for the community. Hydrogen produced through electrolysis is presented as a viable alternative feedstock for decarbonizing industrial processes. The vision adopts a multi-scalar approach, combining a national perspective with targeted interventions at the regional clusters. For example, Rotterdam being reimagined as the largest producer of green hydrogen in the Netherlands. Former fossil fuel-dominated zones are re-envisioned as spaces of green experimentation and innovation through the installation of mega-electrolysis plants and the transformation of post-industrial lands into green oases.
Crucially, the project emphasizes an equitable community transition. It introduces a multi-level governance mechanism in the form of a Hydrogen Council, aimed at empowering local communities to participate in the shaping of their post-fossil identities. Additionally, the integration of hydrogen credits is proposed as a tool to incentivize public adoption and normalize hydrogen use in everyday life. These spatial and social strategies are designed to improve environmental conditions, working environments, and the social fabric of transitioning industrial communities.
This approach aims to develop replicable models that can guide similar transitions across the Netherlands. Through the phased implementation of interventions over the next 25 years, the goal is to foster a beneficial relationship between industries and communities: mutualism. In the future, hydrogen is expected to stabilize as the predominant sustainable fuel source, securing its role in the future energy landscape.
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