C.M. Hein
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1
This study examines the spatial and visual transformation of the Golden Horn waterfront in Istanbul through a comparative analysis of two facing shoreline segments (eastern and western shores). The specific areas of focus are Fener–Balat on the eastern shore and Kasımpaşa–Hasköy (including the Camialtı–Taşkızak shipyards) on the western shore. Rather than approaching the Golden Horn as a continuous and homogeneous waterfront, the study reads it through these opposing edges, which face the same body of water but have developed different spatial characteristics over time.
The research focuses on three main periods: the early 20th-century industrial production phase, the post-1980 deindustrialization process, and the contemporary redevelopment period. Across these phases, changes in shoreline morphology, spatial use, accessibility, and visual structure are analyzed comparatively using archival documents, historical maps, aerial photographs, and on-site observations.
The findings show that, despite their shared industrial past, the two shores have developed distinct spatial and visual conditions over time. The eastern shore has evolved into a more continuous, open, and publicly accessible waterfront, while the western shore, in contrast, presents a more fragmented and controlled structure. In this case, access to the waterfront is often limited and organized through specific entry points, creating semi-public or privately regulated spaces that interrupt shoreline continuity.
This comparison suggests that post-industrial waterfront transformation cannot be understood as a uniform or linear process. Instead, even within the same urban context, it can produce different spatial outcomes. In this sense, the study questions the common assumption of “homogeneous redevelopment” in waterfront literature and proposes a more layered reading of urban transformation. ...
The research focuses on three main periods: the early 20th-century industrial production phase, the post-1980 deindustrialization process, and the contemporary redevelopment period. Across these phases, changes in shoreline morphology, spatial use, accessibility, and visual structure are analyzed comparatively using archival documents, historical maps, aerial photographs, and on-site observations.
The findings show that, despite their shared industrial past, the two shores have developed distinct spatial and visual conditions over time. The eastern shore has evolved into a more continuous, open, and publicly accessible waterfront, while the western shore, in contrast, presents a more fragmented and controlled structure. In this case, access to the waterfront is often limited and organized through specific entry points, creating semi-public or privately regulated spaces that interrupt shoreline continuity.
This comparison suggests that post-industrial waterfront transformation cannot be understood as a uniform or linear process. Instead, even within the same urban context, it can produce different spatial outcomes. In this sense, the study questions the common assumption of “homogeneous redevelopment” in waterfront literature and proposes a more layered reading of urban transformation. ...
This study examines the spatial and visual transformation of the Golden Horn waterfront in Istanbul through a comparative analysis of two facing shoreline segments (eastern and western shores). The specific areas of focus are Fener–Balat on the eastern shore and Kasımpaşa–Hasköy (including the Camialtı–Taşkızak shipyards) on the western shore. Rather than approaching the Golden Horn as a continuous and homogeneous waterfront, the study reads it through these opposing edges, which face the same body of water but have developed different spatial characteristics over time.
The research focuses on three main periods: the early 20th-century industrial production phase, the post-1980 deindustrialization process, and the contemporary redevelopment period. Across these phases, changes in shoreline morphology, spatial use, accessibility, and visual structure are analyzed comparatively using archival documents, historical maps, aerial photographs, and on-site observations.
The findings show that, despite their shared industrial past, the two shores have developed distinct spatial and visual conditions over time. The eastern shore has evolved into a more continuous, open, and publicly accessible waterfront, while the western shore, in contrast, presents a more fragmented and controlled structure. In this case, access to the waterfront is often limited and organized through specific entry points, creating semi-public or privately regulated spaces that interrupt shoreline continuity.
This comparison suggests that post-industrial waterfront transformation cannot be understood as a uniform or linear process. Instead, even within the same urban context, it can produce different spatial outcomes. In this sense, the study questions the common assumption of “homogeneous redevelopment” in waterfront literature and proposes a more layered reading of urban transformation.
The research focuses on three main periods: the early 20th-century industrial production phase, the post-1980 deindustrialization process, and the contemporary redevelopment period. Across these phases, changes in shoreline morphology, spatial use, accessibility, and visual structure are analyzed comparatively using archival documents, historical maps, aerial photographs, and on-site observations.
The findings show that, despite their shared industrial past, the two shores have developed distinct spatial and visual conditions over time. The eastern shore has evolved into a more continuous, open, and publicly accessible waterfront, while the western shore, in contrast, presents a more fragmented and controlled structure. In this case, access to the waterfront is often limited and organized through specific entry points, creating semi-public or privately regulated spaces that interrupt shoreline continuity.
This comparison suggests that post-industrial waterfront transformation cannot be understood as a uniform or linear process. Instead, even within the same urban context, it can produce different spatial outcomes. In this sense, the study questions the common assumption of “homogeneous redevelopment” in waterfront literature and proposes a more layered reading of urban transformation.
Why did the city turn its back to the water?
A historical analysis on the development of the Maritsa river and its relationship with Plovdiv
The Maritsa River is the historical and cultural spine of Plovdiv – the city grew around it from ancient times, relying on the trade and resources it brought. Today however, it functions as a barrier, completely separating the historical old town from the newer neighbourhoods. Heavy transport infrastructure with little pedestrian support, unmanaged vegetation, and strict concretization make the riverbanks unattractive as a public space.
This thesis will investigate the historical development of the river to determine how, when, and by whom the connection between city and water was severed. Following the rivers development across several historical eras, the study explores how different ideologies treat the riverbanks, and what principles hide behind the choices of the planners at the given time. The study starts from the Late Ottoman era when the river was well integrated into the public realm but posed significant risks. The first disconnection happened in 1891 and was influenced by the Hygienist movement, which was gaining popularity in Europe by offering sanitation and flood protection, an issue many river cities at the time dealt with. At the time of Schnitter’s proposed plan, which is elaborated in Chapter 7, Plovdiv was recovering from two of the most destructive floods in its history and was frequently plagued by disease in summer due to stagnant waters, and so the plan was praised as a mandatory step towards progress. In the 20th century, the administrations of both the monarchy in the first half and the people’s republic of the second half, heavily invested into infrastructure, focusing on trade and commerce. The primary goal was to revitalize the country’s economy after 5 centuries of dependence on the Ottoman Empire. The Maritsa being viewed as the city’s primary asset and taming it for the sake of industrialization was considered a major modernization success.
Later, during the Transition period and Modern times, the public administration is burdened by institutional paralysis, a consequence of the post-socialism deconstruction of state, which resulted in a disconnection between Municipality and State. Low public opinion and interest in the river in the last 30 years exacerbates the disconnection issue, as revitalization projects gather low support and are therefore small-scale. While modern opinions often attribute these circumstances to a lack of municipal funding, negligent administration, or the low public interest, this thesis argues that the river's isolation is the cumulative result of a century of ideological prioritization of industry over quality of the public environment.
While many of Europe’s river cities faced similar issues, the Maritsa River presents a set of unique conditions that make studying it worthwhile. For starters, until recent history, prior to the liberation in 1878, it was virtually untouched by human intervention. The short timeframe of 150 years allows research to track the entire process of development in detail. Moreover, during this relatively brief period, Bulgaria went through several major political shifts. Exploring the historical development through the lens of these radical political changes presents the opportunity to observe how ideological changes physically shape the urban landscape. The Maritsa serves as a unique example of the post-socialist urban river condition. Unlike Western European rivers that are currently undergoing successful renaturalisation, the Maritsa is trapped in an institutional stalemate. The heavily engineered infrastructure of the 20th century has been abandoned due to the fragmented state and municipal ownership. Studying the Martisa can help understanding why Western renaturalisation strategies cannot simply be applied in Plovdiv, as the barrier is no longer just concrete, but a complex system of unresolved legal and institutional issues. ...
This thesis will investigate the historical development of the river to determine how, when, and by whom the connection between city and water was severed. Following the rivers development across several historical eras, the study explores how different ideologies treat the riverbanks, and what principles hide behind the choices of the planners at the given time. The study starts from the Late Ottoman era when the river was well integrated into the public realm but posed significant risks. The first disconnection happened in 1891 and was influenced by the Hygienist movement, which was gaining popularity in Europe by offering sanitation and flood protection, an issue many river cities at the time dealt with. At the time of Schnitter’s proposed plan, which is elaborated in Chapter 7, Plovdiv was recovering from two of the most destructive floods in its history and was frequently plagued by disease in summer due to stagnant waters, and so the plan was praised as a mandatory step towards progress. In the 20th century, the administrations of both the monarchy in the first half and the people’s republic of the second half, heavily invested into infrastructure, focusing on trade and commerce. The primary goal was to revitalize the country’s economy after 5 centuries of dependence on the Ottoman Empire. The Maritsa being viewed as the city’s primary asset and taming it for the sake of industrialization was considered a major modernization success.
Later, during the Transition period and Modern times, the public administration is burdened by institutional paralysis, a consequence of the post-socialism deconstruction of state, which resulted in a disconnection between Municipality and State. Low public opinion and interest in the river in the last 30 years exacerbates the disconnection issue, as revitalization projects gather low support and are therefore small-scale. While modern opinions often attribute these circumstances to a lack of municipal funding, negligent administration, or the low public interest, this thesis argues that the river's isolation is the cumulative result of a century of ideological prioritization of industry over quality of the public environment.
While many of Europe’s river cities faced similar issues, the Maritsa River presents a set of unique conditions that make studying it worthwhile. For starters, until recent history, prior to the liberation in 1878, it was virtually untouched by human intervention. The short timeframe of 150 years allows research to track the entire process of development in detail. Moreover, during this relatively brief period, Bulgaria went through several major political shifts. Exploring the historical development through the lens of these radical political changes presents the opportunity to observe how ideological changes physically shape the urban landscape. The Maritsa serves as a unique example of the post-socialist urban river condition. Unlike Western European rivers that are currently undergoing successful renaturalisation, the Maritsa is trapped in an institutional stalemate. The heavily engineered infrastructure of the 20th century has been abandoned due to the fragmented state and municipal ownership. Studying the Martisa can help understanding why Western renaturalisation strategies cannot simply be applied in Plovdiv, as the barrier is no longer just concrete, but a complex system of unresolved legal and institutional issues. ...
The Maritsa River is the historical and cultural spine of Plovdiv – the city grew around it from ancient times, relying on the trade and resources it brought. Today however, it functions as a barrier, completely separating the historical old town from the newer neighbourhoods. Heavy transport infrastructure with little pedestrian support, unmanaged vegetation, and strict concretization make the riverbanks unattractive as a public space.
This thesis will investigate the historical development of the river to determine how, when, and by whom the connection between city and water was severed. Following the rivers development across several historical eras, the study explores how different ideologies treat the riverbanks, and what principles hide behind the choices of the planners at the given time. The study starts from the Late Ottoman era when the river was well integrated into the public realm but posed significant risks. The first disconnection happened in 1891 and was influenced by the Hygienist movement, which was gaining popularity in Europe by offering sanitation and flood protection, an issue many river cities at the time dealt with. At the time of Schnitter’s proposed plan, which is elaborated in Chapter 7, Plovdiv was recovering from two of the most destructive floods in its history and was frequently plagued by disease in summer due to stagnant waters, and so the plan was praised as a mandatory step towards progress. In the 20th century, the administrations of both the monarchy in the first half and the people’s republic of the second half, heavily invested into infrastructure, focusing on trade and commerce. The primary goal was to revitalize the country’s economy after 5 centuries of dependence on the Ottoman Empire. The Maritsa being viewed as the city’s primary asset and taming it for the sake of industrialization was considered a major modernization success.
Later, during the Transition period and Modern times, the public administration is burdened by institutional paralysis, a consequence of the post-socialism deconstruction of state, which resulted in a disconnection between Municipality and State. Low public opinion and interest in the river in the last 30 years exacerbates the disconnection issue, as revitalization projects gather low support and are therefore small-scale. While modern opinions often attribute these circumstances to a lack of municipal funding, negligent administration, or the low public interest, this thesis argues that the river's isolation is the cumulative result of a century of ideological prioritization of industry over quality of the public environment.
While many of Europe’s river cities faced similar issues, the Maritsa River presents a set of unique conditions that make studying it worthwhile. For starters, until recent history, prior to the liberation in 1878, it was virtually untouched by human intervention. The short timeframe of 150 years allows research to track the entire process of development in detail. Moreover, during this relatively brief period, Bulgaria went through several major political shifts. Exploring the historical development through the lens of these radical political changes presents the opportunity to observe how ideological changes physically shape the urban landscape. The Maritsa serves as a unique example of the post-socialist urban river condition. Unlike Western European rivers that are currently undergoing successful renaturalisation, the Maritsa is trapped in an institutional stalemate. The heavily engineered infrastructure of the 20th century has been abandoned due to the fragmented state and municipal ownership. Studying the Martisa can help understanding why Western renaturalisation strategies cannot simply be applied in Plovdiv, as the barrier is no longer just concrete, but a complex system of unresolved legal and institutional issues.
This thesis will investigate the historical development of the river to determine how, when, and by whom the connection between city and water was severed. Following the rivers development across several historical eras, the study explores how different ideologies treat the riverbanks, and what principles hide behind the choices of the planners at the given time. The study starts from the Late Ottoman era when the river was well integrated into the public realm but posed significant risks. The first disconnection happened in 1891 and was influenced by the Hygienist movement, which was gaining popularity in Europe by offering sanitation and flood protection, an issue many river cities at the time dealt with. At the time of Schnitter’s proposed plan, which is elaborated in Chapter 7, Plovdiv was recovering from two of the most destructive floods in its history and was frequently plagued by disease in summer due to stagnant waters, and so the plan was praised as a mandatory step towards progress. In the 20th century, the administrations of both the monarchy in the first half and the people’s republic of the second half, heavily invested into infrastructure, focusing on trade and commerce. The primary goal was to revitalize the country’s economy after 5 centuries of dependence on the Ottoman Empire. The Maritsa being viewed as the city’s primary asset and taming it for the sake of industrialization was considered a major modernization success.
Later, during the Transition period and Modern times, the public administration is burdened by institutional paralysis, a consequence of the post-socialism deconstruction of state, which resulted in a disconnection between Municipality and State. Low public opinion and interest in the river in the last 30 years exacerbates the disconnection issue, as revitalization projects gather low support and are therefore small-scale. While modern opinions often attribute these circumstances to a lack of municipal funding, negligent administration, or the low public interest, this thesis argues that the river's isolation is the cumulative result of a century of ideological prioritization of industry over quality of the public environment.
While many of Europe’s river cities faced similar issues, the Maritsa River presents a set of unique conditions that make studying it worthwhile. For starters, until recent history, prior to the liberation in 1878, it was virtually untouched by human intervention. The short timeframe of 150 years allows research to track the entire process of development in detail. Moreover, during this relatively brief period, Bulgaria went through several major political shifts. Exploring the historical development through the lens of these radical political changes presents the opportunity to observe how ideological changes physically shape the urban landscape. The Maritsa serves as a unique example of the post-socialist urban river condition. Unlike Western European rivers that are currently undergoing successful renaturalisation, the Maritsa is trapped in an institutional stalemate. The heavily engineered infrastructure of the 20th century has been abandoned due to the fragmented state and municipal ownership. Studying the Martisa can help understanding why Western renaturalisation strategies cannot simply be applied in Plovdiv, as the barrier is no longer just concrete, but a complex system of unresolved legal and institutional issues.
Inventing a Maritime Modernity
Architecture and Urban Identity of Interwar Gdynia
The study examines the interwar modernist architecture of Gdynia as a coherent visual and symbolic project, shaped by political ambitions and national maritime aspirations. Developed rapidly after the First World War, the city was conceived
almost entirely under the influence of modernism, not only as a functional port, but also as an expression of Polish modernity, sovereignty, and reestablished access to the sea. While previous studies focus on the particularity of growth from a small village to a national transportation hub, or on the architectural design of individual buildings, this paper argues that the architecture should be
studied as a unified expression of maritime identity operating across different scales.
The study focuses on the civilian architecture in the city: public buildings, apartment houses, and villas, as it was within these structures that maritime modernism entered everyday urban life. Through a combination of historical research and photographic analysis, the study examines how nautical references were translated into architectural form through elements such as rounded corners, horizontal window bands, terraces, and structural analogies to shipbuilding.
The analysis shows that the maritime modernist architecture of Gdynia should not be seen merely as a stylistic approach, but rather as a coherent image-making strategy that embeds symbolic associations with the sea in urban life. Seen as Poland’s “window to the world”, Gdynia contributed to the construction of modern national identity, highlighting the country’s future-oriented maritime mindset and standing in sharp contrast to the historically layered cultural development of nearby Gdańsk. ...
almost entirely under the influence of modernism, not only as a functional port, but also as an expression of Polish modernity, sovereignty, and reestablished access to the sea. While previous studies focus on the particularity of growth from a small village to a national transportation hub, or on the architectural design of individual buildings, this paper argues that the architecture should be
studied as a unified expression of maritime identity operating across different scales.
The study focuses on the civilian architecture in the city: public buildings, apartment houses, and villas, as it was within these structures that maritime modernism entered everyday urban life. Through a combination of historical research and photographic analysis, the study examines how nautical references were translated into architectural form through elements such as rounded corners, horizontal window bands, terraces, and structural analogies to shipbuilding.
The analysis shows that the maritime modernist architecture of Gdynia should not be seen merely as a stylistic approach, but rather as a coherent image-making strategy that embeds symbolic associations with the sea in urban life. Seen as Poland’s “window to the world”, Gdynia contributed to the construction of modern national identity, highlighting the country’s future-oriented maritime mindset and standing in sharp contrast to the historically layered cultural development of nearby Gdańsk. ...
The study examines the interwar modernist architecture of Gdynia as a coherent visual and symbolic project, shaped by political ambitions and national maritime aspirations. Developed rapidly after the First World War, the city was conceived
almost entirely under the influence of modernism, not only as a functional port, but also as an expression of Polish modernity, sovereignty, and reestablished access to the sea. While previous studies focus on the particularity of growth from a small village to a national transportation hub, or on the architectural design of individual buildings, this paper argues that the architecture should be
studied as a unified expression of maritime identity operating across different scales.
The study focuses on the civilian architecture in the city: public buildings, apartment houses, and villas, as it was within these structures that maritime modernism entered everyday urban life. Through a combination of historical research and photographic analysis, the study examines how nautical references were translated into architectural form through elements such as rounded corners, horizontal window bands, terraces, and structural analogies to shipbuilding.
The analysis shows that the maritime modernist architecture of Gdynia should not be seen merely as a stylistic approach, but rather as a coherent image-making strategy that embeds symbolic associations with the sea in urban life. Seen as Poland’s “window to the world”, Gdynia contributed to the construction of modern national identity, highlighting the country’s future-oriented maritime mindset and standing in sharp contrast to the historically layered cultural development of nearby Gdańsk.
almost entirely under the influence of modernism, not only as a functional port, but also as an expression of Polish modernity, sovereignty, and reestablished access to the sea. While previous studies focus on the particularity of growth from a small village to a national transportation hub, or on the architectural design of individual buildings, this paper argues that the architecture should be
studied as a unified expression of maritime identity operating across different scales.
The study focuses on the civilian architecture in the city: public buildings, apartment houses, and villas, as it was within these structures that maritime modernism entered everyday urban life. Through a combination of historical research and photographic analysis, the study examines how nautical references were translated into architectural form through elements such as rounded corners, horizontal window bands, terraces, and structural analogies to shipbuilding.
The analysis shows that the maritime modernist architecture of Gdynia should not be seen merely as a stylistic approach, but rather as a coherent image-making strategy that embeds symbolic associations with the sea in urban life. Seen as Poland’s “window to the world”, Gdynia contributed to the construction of modern national identity, highlighting the country’s future-oriented maritime mindset and standing in sharp contrast to the historically layered cultural development of nearby Gdańsk.
Spatial practices of maritime women in the 19th century
An intersectional analysis of three casestudies from the rotterdam region
Maritime historiography has often marginalised women, reducing their roles to domestic responsibilities and overlooking their contributions to maritime society. This paper examines how women’s spatial practices in the nineteenth century in the Rotterdam region were shaped by intersecting socio-economic, legal, and responsibility conditions. Combining a literature review with archival research and a comparative case study approach, it analyses three positions within maritime society: a shipyard owner, a woman on sea, and women in fishing communities. The findings show that women were actively engaged in maritime economies in diverse ways, both on land and at sea. Spatial mobility did not directly correspond to socio-economic status or legal authority, but was shaped by life circumstances, professional roles, and childcare responsibilities. While greater wealth could enable access to a wider range of spaces, it often resulted in stronger spatial anchoring due to increased responsibility.
By looking through an intersectional lens, this research demonstrates that women cannot be understood as a homogeneous group, and that differences within gender are essential for understanding spatial practices. It contributes to a more nuanced interpretation of maritime and urban history by showing the complex roles of women. ...
By looking through an intersectional lens, this research demonstrates that women cannot be understood as a homogeneous group, and that differences within gender are essential for understanding spatial practices. It contributes to a more nuanced interpretation of maritime and urban history by showing the complex roles of women. ...
Maritime historiography has often marginalised women, reducing their roles to domestic responsibilities and overlooking their contributions to maritime society. This paper examines how women’s spatial practices in the nineteenth century in the Rotterdam region were shaped by intersecting socio-economic, legal, and responsibility conditions. Combining a literature review with archival research and a comparative case study approach, it analyses three positions within maritime society: a shipyard owner, a woman on sea, and women in fishing communities. The findings show that women were actively engaged in maritime economies in diverse ways, both on land and at sea. Spatial mobility did not directly correspond to socio-economic status or legal authority, but was shaped by life circumstances, professional roles, and childcare responsibilities. While greater wealth could enable access to a wider range of spaces, it often resulted in stronger spatial anchoring due to increased responsibility.
By looking through an intersectional lens, this research demonstrates that women cannot be understood as a homogeneous group, and that differences within gender are essential for understanding spatial practices. It contributes to a more nuanced interpretation of maritime and urban history by showing the complex roles of women.
By looking through an intersectional lens, this research demonstrates that women cannot be understood as a homogeneous group, and that differences within gender are essential for understanding spatial practices. It contributes to a more nuanced interpretation of maritime and urban history by showing the complex roles of women.
The Social Life in the Modern Corridor
And how it dictated social behavior in the Bijlmermeer Flats
The Social Life in the Modern Corridor: a historical research on how spatial design of corridors influence the social behavior in the Bijlmermeer flat in Amsterdam.
The Netherlands is dealing with a housing shortage with high rise construction being the primary solution. Nevertheless, high rise construction faces a negative stigma of crime and social isolation. How did the modern ideas shift from the “rue interieure” and “streets in the air" to the insecure, anonymous reality? Focussing on the spatial design of the corridors in the Bijlmermeer flats, this paper investigates its influence on social behavior in times of origin, decay and renewal. The methodology is multidisciplinary, part 1 elaborates on the reasons of construction of the case study, zooming in on the origins of the CIAM and international discussions. Part 2 focuses on the renewal strategies tied to behavior in the contemporary corridors examined with mapping, observations, interviews and a questionnaire. The historical analysis connected to contemporary behavior will explore how spatial design can restore social behavior without demolition. The findings indicate that the original modern ideas of standardization, repetition and separation of functions creates a “nomansland” and lacks “eyes on the street”. Physical renewal strategies focused on combating this with creating a sense of identity and social interaction by improving transparency, visibility and quality. The primary research showed that wider gallery dimensions and clusters of dwellings reduce anonymity and allow ownership. In the circulation core and entrance hall, where a higher number of users is inevitable, tighter spaces promote brief encounters and shared paths open conversations. Renewal strategies in severe circumstances as the Bijlmermeer flats require an integrated multiparty approach. However, the shift in social behavior in the Bijlmermeer flats after physical renewal shows that spatial design can contribute in restoring social interaction and identity without demolition.
...
The Netherlands is dealing with a housing shortage with high rise construction being the primary solution. Nevertheless, high rise construction faces a negative stigma of crime and social isolation. How did the modern ideas shift from the “rue interieure” and “streets in the air" to the insecure, anonymous reality? Focussing on the spatial design of the corridors in the Bijlmermeer flats, this paper investigates its influence on social behavior in times of origin, decay and renewal. The methodology is multidisciplinary, part 1 elaborates on the reasons of construction of the case study, zooming in on the origins of the CIAM and international discussions. Part 2 focuses on the renewal strategies tied to behavior in the contemporary corridors examined with mapping, observations, interviews and a questionnaire. The historical analysis connected to contemporary behavior will explore how spatial design can restore social behavior without demolition. The findings indicate that the original modern ideas of standardization, repetition and separation of functions creates a “nomansland” and lacks “eyes on the street”. Physical renewal strategies focused on combating this with creating a sense of identity and social interaction by improving transparency, visibility and quality. The primary research showed that wider gallery dimensions and clusters of dwellings reduce anonymity and allow ownership. In the circulation core and entrance hall, where a higher number of users is inevitable, tighter spaces promote brief encounters and shared paths open conversations. Renewal strategies in severe circumstances as the Bijlmermeer flats require an integrated multiparty approach. However, the shift in social behavior in the Bijlmermeer flats after physical renewal shows that spatial design can contribute in restoring social interaction and identity without demolition.
...
The Social Life in the Modern Corridor: a historical research on how spatial design of corridors influence the social behavior in the Bijlmermeer flat in Amsterdam.
The Netherlands is dealing with a housing shortage with high rise construction being the primary solution. Nevertheless, high rise construction faces a negative stigma of crime and social isolation. How did the modern ideas shift from the “rue interieure” and “streets in the air" to the insecure, anonymous reality? Focussing on the spatial design of the corridors in the Bijlmermeer flats, this paper investigates its influence on social behavior in times of origin, decay and renewal. The methodology is multidisciplinary, part 1 elaborates on the reasons of construction of the case study, zooming in on the origins of the CIAM and international discussions. Part 2 focuses on the renewal strategies tied to behavior in the contemporary corridors examined with mapping, observations, interviews and a questionnaire. The historical analysis connected to contemporary behavior will explore how spatial design can restore social behavior without demolition. The findings indicate that the original modern ideas of standardization, repetition and separation of functions creates a “nomansland” and lacks “eyes on the street”. Physical renewal strategies focused on combating this with creating a sense of identity and social interaction by improving transparency, visibility and quality. The primary research showed that wider gallery dimensions and clusters of dwellings reduce anonymity and allow ownership. In the circulation core and entrance hall, where a higher number of users is inevitable, tighter spaces promote brief encounters and shared paths open conversations. Renewal strategies in severe circumstances as the Bijlmermeer flats require an integrated multiparty approach. However, the shift in social behavior in the Bijlmermeer flats after physical renewal shows that spatial design can contribute in restoring social interaction and identity without demolition.
The Netherlands is dealing with a housing shortage with high rise construction being the primary solution. Nevertheless, high rise construction faces a negative stigma of crime and social isolation. How did the modern ideas shift from the “rue interieure” and “streets in the air" to the insecure, anonymous reality? Focussing on the spatial design of the corridors in the Bijlmermeer flats, this paper investigates its influence on social behavior in times of origin, decay and renewal. The methodology is multidisciplinary, part 1 elaborates on the reasons of construction of the case study, zooming in on the origins of the CIAM and international discussions. Part 2 focuses on the renewal strategies tied to behavior in the contemporary corridors examined with mapping, observations, interviews and a questionnaire. The historical analysis connected to contemporary behavior will explore how spatial design can restore social behavior without demolition. The findings indicate that the original modern ideas of standardization, repetition and separation of functions creates a “nomansland” and lacks “eyes on the street”. Physical renewal strategies focused on combating this with creating a sense of identity and social interaction by improving transparency, visibility and quality. The primary research showed that wider gallery dimensions and clusters of dwellings reduce anonymity and allow ownership. In the circulation core and entrance hall, where a higher number of users is inevitable, tighter spaces promote brief encounters and shared paths open conversations. Renewal strategies in severe circumstances as the Bijlmermeer flats require an integrated multiparty approach. However, the shift in social behavior in the Bijlmermeer flats after physical renewal shows that spatial design can contribute in restoring social interaction and identity without demolition.
Producing Place as a Network of Spatial Practices
Mapping Students' Everyday Life at Makerere University, Kampala
This research examines how places are produced through students' everyday spatial practices at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda—a rapidly urbanizing city with a booming youth population. Situated at the intersection of colonial-postcolonial history and coexisting formal and informal urban development, Makerere University presents a context that demands approaches beyond Western-centric or structuralist frameworks.
Adopting a theoretically driven case study approach, this study employs "campushood" as its primary analytical lens, encompassing both students and the campus environment to enable a holistic, thick description of students' lifeworlds. Through mixed methods, including multi-vocal archival research, place-based interviews, mental mapping, time-budget surveys, and ethnography, this study conducts a multi-layered analysis of spatial practices.
Theoretically, this study proposes a space ontology that understands place as a network of spatial practices, drawing on Theodore Schatzki’s flat ontology and Michel de Certeau’s theory of spatial practices. The proposed urban (ab)normalist framework further supports a contextual and practice-oriented research methodology. Methodologically, the study combines interdisciplinary research methods with ethnomethodology to examine how students navigate and make sense of everyday environments.
The empirical findings reveal three key dimensions: students are active place-producing agents rather than passive consumers of urban space; their practices reflect communal values, blurring boundaries between private and public space; and the emergence of campushood challenges existing studentification discourses by connecting students' lifeworlds across temporal and spatial dimensions.
Ultimately, this study contributes to debates on spatial justice by conceptualizing “spatial capital” and foregrounding students’ voices and spatial practices in urban discourses. ...
Adopting a theoretically driven case study approach, this study employs "campushood" as its primary analytical lens, encompassing both students and the campus environment to enable a holistic, thick description of students' lifeworlds. Through mixed methods, including multi-vocal archival research, place-based interviews, mental mapping, time-budget surveys, and ethnography, this study conducts a multi-layered analysis of spatial practices.
Theoretically, this study proposes a space ontology that understands place as a network of spatial practices, drawing on Theodore Schatzki’s flat ontology and Michel de Certeau’s theory of spatial practices. The proposed urban (ab)normalist framework further supports a contextual and practice-oriented research methodology. Methodologically, the study combines interdisciplinary research methods with ethnomethodology to examine how students navigate and make sense of everyday environments.
The empirical findings reveal three key dimensions: students are active place-producing agents rather than passive consumers of urban space; their practices reflect communal values, blurring boundaries between private and public space; and the emergence of campushood challenges existing studentification discourses by connecting students' lifeworlds across temporal and spatial dimensions.
Ultimately, this study contributes to debates on spatial justice by conceptualizing “spatial capital” and foregrounding students’ voices and spatial practices in urban discourses. ...
This research examines how places are produced through students' everyday spatial practices at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda—a rapidly urbanizing city with a booming youth population. Situated at the intersection of colonial-postcolonial history and coexisting formal and informal urban development, Makerere University presents a context that demands approaches beyond Western-centric or structuralist frameworks.
Adopting a theoretically driven case study approach, this study employs "campushood" as its primary analytical lens, encompassing both students and the campus environment to enable a holistic, thick description of students' lifeworlds. Through mixed methods, including multi-vocal archival research, place-based interviews, mental mapping, time-budget surveys, and ethnography, this study conducts a multi-layered analysis of spatial practices.
Theoretically, this study proposes a space ontology that understands place as a network of spatial practices, drawing on Theodore Schatzki’s flat ontology and Michel de Certeau’s theory of spatial practices. The proposed urban (ab)normalist framework further supports a contextual and practice-oriented research methodology. Methodologically, the study combines interdisciplinary research methods with ethnomethodology to examine how students navigate and make sense of everyday environments.
The empirical findings reveal three key dimensions: students are active place-producing agents rather than passive consumers of urban space; their practices reflect communal values, blurring boundaries between private and public space; and the emergence of campushood challenges existing studentification discourses by connecting students' lifeworlds across temporal and spatial dimensions.
Ultimately, this study contributes to debates on spatial justice by conceptualizing “spatial capital” and foregrounding students’ voices and spatial practices in urban discourses.
Adopting a theoretically driven case study approach, this study employs "campushood" as its primary analytical lens, encompassing both students and the campus environment to enable a holistic, thick description of students' lifeworlds. Through mixed methods, including multi-vocal archival research, place-based interviews, mental mapping, time-budget surveys, and ethnography, this study conducts a multi-layered analysis of spatial practices.
Theoretically, this study proposes a space ontology that understands place as a network of spatial practices, drawing on Theodore Schatzki’s flat ontology and Michel de Certeau’s theory of spatial practices. The proposed urban (ab)normalist framework further supports a contextual and practice-oriented research methodology. Methodologically, the study combines interdisciplinary research methods with ethnomethodology to examine how students navigate and make sense of everyday environments.
The empirical findings reveal three key dimensions: students are active place-producing agents rather than passive consumers of urban space; their practices reflect communal values, blurring boundaries between private and public space; and the emergence of campushood challenges existing studentification discourses by connecting students' lifeworlds across temporal and spatial dimensions.
Ultimately, this study contributes to debates on spatial justice by conceptualizing “spatial capital” and foregrounding students’ voices and spatial practices in urban discourses.
A maritime coffee chain and the making of a colonial coffeescape
From coffee cultivation on Java to consumption in the Netherlands between 1700 and 1950
This thesis examines the 250-year spatial development of the maritime coffee chain connecting Java and the Netherlands between 1700 and 1950. By integrating the Global Commodity Chain framework with the Petroleumscape concept, the study demonstrates how state institutions, private businesses, shipping companies, social associations, and intermediaries together formed a colonial “coffeescape,” consisting of a logistical, governance, and imaginative layer.
Based on extensive archival research and detailed contemporary maps and images, architectural and spatial analyses, the thesis demonstrates how the expansion of coffee cultivation on Java profoundly transformed its landscape. The advancing frontier was initially strongly anchored in forced labour after which it was succeeded by free market forces. However, both systems led to an enormous environmental degradation. The thesis further shows how this process was connected to developments in port cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam and their hinterland which underwent substantial infrastructural, organisational, and imaginative changes as they processed ever‑increasing volumes of Java coffee.
The spatial perspective applied in this research shows that decision makers shaped the Coffeescape far beyond their own locations, revealing the wider consequences of their choices. Reflecting on sustainability, the thesis argues that understanding past systems of extraction and chain coordination is essential for evaluating the global environmental impacts of future decisions and the role of port cities. This coffeescape’s history demonstrates the enduring consequences of commodity-driven development. The research therefore concludes that sustainable futures require engaging with the perspectives and decisions of organisations shaping these global maritime commodity chain today rather than by abstract models. ...
Based on extensive archival research and detailed contemporary maps and images, architectural and spatial analyses, the thesis demonstrates how the expansion of coffee cultivation on Java profoundly transformed its landscape. The advancing frontier was initially strongly anchored in forced labour after which it was succeeded by free market forces. However, both systems led to an enormous environmental degradation. The thesis further shows how this process was connected to developments in port cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam and their hinterland which underwent substantial infrastructural, organisational, and imaginative changes as they processed ever‑increasing volumes of Java coffee.
The spatial perspective applied in this research shows that decision makers shaped the Coffeescape far beyond their own locations, revealing the wider consequences of their choices. Reflecting on sustainability, the thesis argues that understanding past systems of extraction and chain coordination is essential for evaluating the global environmental impacts of future decisions and the role of port cities. This coffeescape’s history demonstrates the enduring consequences of commodity-driven development. The research therefore concludes that sustainable futures require engaging with the perspectives and decisions of organisations shaping these global maritime commodity chain today rather than by abstract models. ...
This thesis examines the 250-year spatial development of the maritime coffee chain connecting Java and the Netherlands between 1700 and 1950. By integrating the Global Commodity Chain framework with the Petroleumscape concept, the study demonstrates how state institutions, private businesses, shipping companies, social associations, and intermediaries together formed a colonial “coffeescape,” consisting of a logistical, governance, and imaginative layer.
Based on extensive archival research and detailed contemporary maps and images, architectural and spatial analyses, the thesis demonstrates how the expansion of coffee cultivation on Java profoundly transformed its landscape. The advancing frontier was initially strongly anchored in forced labour after which it was succeeded by free market forces. However, both systems led to an enormous environmental degradation. The thesis further shows how this process was connected to developments in port cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam and their hinterland which underwent substantial infrastructural, organisational, and imaginative changes as they processed ever‑increasing volumes of Java coffee.
The spatial perspective applied in this research shows that decision makers shaped the Coffeescape far beyond their own locations, revealing the wider consequences of their choices. Reflecting on sustainability, the thesis argues that understanding past systems of extraction and chain coordination is essential for evaluating the global environmental impacts of future decisions and the role of port cities. This coffeescape’s history demonstrates the enduring consequences of commodity-driven development. The research therefore concludes that sustainable futures require engaging with the perspectives and decisions of organisations shaping these global maritime commodity chain today rather than by abstract models.
Based on extensive archival research and detailed contemporary maps and images, architectural and spatial analyses, the thesis demonstrates how the expansion of coffee cultivation on Java profoundly transformed its landscape. The advancing frontier was initially strongly anchored in forced labour after which it was succeeded by free market forces. However, both systems led to an enormous environmental degradation. The thesis further shows how this process was connected to developments in port cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam and their hinterland which underwent substantial infrastructural, organisational, and imaginative changes as they processed ever‑increasing volumes of Java coffee.
The spatial perspective applied in this research shows that decision makers shaped the Coffeescape far beyond their own locations, revealing the wider consequences of their choices. Reflecting on sustainability, the thesis argues that understanding past systems of extraction and chain coordination is essential for evaluating the global environmental impacts of future decisions and the role of port cities. This coffeescape’s history demonstrates the enduring consequences of commodity-driven development. The research therefore concludes that sustainable futures require engaging with the perspectives and decisions of organisations shaping these global maritime commodity chain today rather than by abstract models.
Coastal Catalyst
Energy Infrastructure and the Shaping of a Dutch Coastal Town
This thesis investigates how energy infrastructure has shaped the urban and economic development of Vlissingen, a Dutch coastal town positioned along the Scheldt estuary. Through a mixed-methods approach combining historical analysis, archival research, and spatial investigation, the study traces Vlissingen’s transformation across three infrastructural epochs: coal (Centrale Zeeland), nuclear (Borssele nuclear plant), and renewable energy (Borssele wind farms). These phases are contextualized within broader national strategies for industrial decentralisation and the evolving use of the North Sea as an energy landscape. Particular attention is given to Zeeland’s infrastructural position - connected to the national grid by a singular transmission line - underscoring its historical energy independence and regional distinctiveness. The analysis demonstrates that energy infrastructures have not only supplied power but actively orchestrated urban growth, influenced planning decisions, and redefined the city’s economic role within the Netherlands. While the arrival of offshore wind has repositioned Vlissingen as a node in the national energy transition, its socio-spatial impacts remain uneven and gradual. By foregrounding the spatial agency of infrastructure, the thesis contributes to debates on infrastructural urbanism and offers a lens for understanding peripheral cities navigating energy transition and national spatial planning regimes.
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This thesis investigates how energy infrastructure has shaped the urban and economic development of Vlissingen, a Dutch coastal town positioned along the Scheldt estuary. Through a mixed-methods approach combining historical analysis, archival research, and spatial investigation, the study traces Vlissingen’s transformation across three infrastructural epochs: coal (Centrale Zeeland), nuclear (Borssele nuclear plant), and renewable energy (Borssele wind farms). These phases are contextualized within broader national strategies for industrial decentralisation and the evolving use of the North Sea as an energy landscape. Particular attention is given to Zeeland’s infrastructural position - connected to the national grid by a singular transmission line - underscoring its historical energy independence and regional distinctiveness. The analysis demonstrates that energy infrastructures have not only supplied power but actively orchestrated urban growth, influenced planning decisions, and redefined the city’s economic role within the Netherlands. While the arrival of offshore wind has repositioned Vlissingen as a node in the national energy transition, its socio-spatial impacts remain uneven and gradual. By foregrounding the spatial agency of infrastructure, the thesis contributes to debates on infrastructural urbanism and offers a lens for understanding peripheral cities navigating energy transition and national spatial planning regimes.
This thesis explores the Hanse’s legacy goes the exchange of goods, understanding how medieval trade networks also transported intangible practices, such as ideas, customs, and shared practices across Northern Europe. It discusses that such practices — from common legal frameworks and rituals for commerce to building techniques and a common language — were as important to the Hanse’s world as warehouses and ships. Such commonalties produced a cohesive identity across borders and diverse cities, leaving a mark on urban life and potentially a collective memory. By examining key trade outposts and the cultural ties that bound them, the research reveals a network held together not only by commerce but by a mutual understanding and governance that transcended borders. Further, the thesis assesses how this layered heritage is represented today, and how the existing taxonomy of the Water Museum Network could assist. It finds that the taxonomy could classify museums and archives which commemorate the Hanse’s history, they could further include heritage which represents this rich history.
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This thesis explores the Hanse’s legacy goes the exchange of goods, understanding how medieval trade networks also transported intangible practices, such as ideas, customs, and shared practices across Northern Europe. It discusses that such practices — from common legal frameworks and rituals for commerce to building techniques and a common language — were as important to the Hanse’s world as warehouses and ships. Such commonalties produced a cohesive identity across borders and diverse cities, leaving a mark on urban life and potentially a collective memory. By examining key trade outposts and the cultural ties that bound them, the research reveals a network held together not only by commerce but by a mutual understanding and governance that transcended borders. Further, the thesis assesses how this layered heritage is represented today, and how the existing taxonomy of the Water Museum Network could assist. It finds that the taxonomy could classify museums and archives which commemorate the Hanse’s history, they could further include heritage which represents this rich history.
The Thames Tideway, a £5 billion tunnel beneath the Thames to deal with sewage overflows has just been completed in London. This solution looks strikingly like one built over 150 years ago, by Sir Joseph Bazalgette. This thesis asks why the Thames Tideway Tunnel (TTT), a centralised, engineering-heavy solution was chosen over more sustainable and distributed alternatives. Why, in an age of climate urgency are we still building bigger pipes? The thesis argues that the answer lies not only in technical feasibility but in deeply embedded cultural narratives, institutional habits, and financial models.
The first part of the thesis explores how the legacy of Sir Joseph Bazalgette has been mythologised and invoked to legitimise the TTT today. The second part draws on the concepts of sociotechnical imaginaries and historical institutionalism, examining how professional values, government policy frameworks, and investment structures become entrenched and reinforce techno-optimistic views, taken as ‘common sense’.
The thesis brings together cultural analysis and a historical institutionalist approach to planning theory to show how the past constrains the future, not just through physical systems, but through stories we tell ourselves. By exposing these narratives, imaginaries, and structures, the thesis argues for a more just, reflective, and democratic planning of infrastructure. In the interest of ecological resilience, we must reimagine our cultural views of water, waste, and how we live with the environment, to avoid getting stuck in the past. ...
The first part of the thesis explores how the legacy of Sir Joseph Bazalgette has been mythologised and invoked to legitimise the TTT today. The second part draws on the concepts of sociotechnical imaginaries and historical institutionalism, examining how professional values, government policy frameworks, and investment structures become entrenched and reinforce techno-optimistic views, taken as ‘common sense’.
The thesis brings together cultural analysis and a historical institutionalist approach to planning theory to show how the past constrains the future, not just through physical systems, but through stories we tell ourselves. By exposing these narratives, imaginaries, and structures, the thesis argues for a more just, reflective, and democratic planning of infrastructure. In the interest of ecological resilience, we must reimagine our cultural views of water, waste, and how we live with the environment, to avoid getting stuck in the past. ...
The Thames Tideway, a £5 billion tunnel beneath the Thames to deal with sewage overflows has just been completed in London. This solution looks strikingly like one built over 150 years ago, by Sir Joseph Bazalgette. This thesis asks why the Thames Tideway Tunnel (TTT), a centralised, engineering-heavy solution was chosen over more sustainable and distributed alternatives. Why, in an age of climate urgency are we still building bigger pipes? The thesis argues that the answer lies not only in technical feasibility but in deeply embedded cultural narratives, institutional habits, and financial models.
The first part of the thesis explores how the legacy of Sir Joseph Bazalgette has been mythologised and invoked to legitimise the TTT today. The second part draws on the concepts of sociotechnical imaginaries and historical institutionalism, examining how professional values, government policy frameworks, and investment structures become entrenched and reinforce techno-optimistic views, taken as ‘common sense’.
The thesis brings together cultural analysis and a historical institutionalist approach to planning theory to show how the past constrains the future, not just through physical systems, but through stories we tell ourselves. By exposing these narratives, imaginaries, and structures, the thesis argues for a more just, reflective, and democratic planning of infrastructure. In the interest of ecological resilience, we must reimagine our cultural views of water, waste, and how we live with the environment, to avoid getting stuck in the past.
The first part of the thesis explores how the legacy of Sir Joseph Bazalgette has been mythologised and invoked to legitimise the TTT today. The second part draws on the concepts of sociotechnical imaginaries and historical institutionalism, examining how professional values, government policy frameworks, and investment structures become entrenched and reinforce techno-optimistic views, taken as ‘common sense’.
The thesis brings together cultural analysis and a historical institutionalist approach to planning theory to show how the past constrains the future, not just through physical systems, but through stories we tell ourselves. By exposing these narratives, imaginaries, and structures, the thesis argues for a more just, reflective, and democratic planning of infrastructure. In the interest of ecological resilience, we must reimagine our cultural views of water, waste, and how we live with the environment, to avoid getting stuck in the past.
Reading the Edge
Tracing Water, People, and Fragmented Memory at Antwerp’s Margueriedok
This thesis examines the Margueriedok - Antwerp's last tidal dock still connected to the Scheldt - as a material site of fragmented memory, suspended infrastructure, and evolving urban-water relations. Using a method of partial reading that combines field observation, archival analysis, and critical theory, the project interprets three site fragments: a blue stone quay wall, a truncated railway line, and the Dutch Pilotage Building. Each chapter explores how these remnants embody past regimes of circulation, control, and resistance, revealing tensions between heritage and redevelopment, memory and erasure. Rather than reconstructing a linear history, the thesis foregrounds ambiguity, material latency, and spatial entanglement as crucial tools for rethinking post-industrial waterfronts. In doing so, it challenges dominant narratives of urban transformation that prioritise clarity, accessibility, and security over complexity, contradiction, and historical depth. The Margueriedok is presented not as a ruin, but as an active assemblage - one that resists easy erasure and invites alternative readings of how cities remember, forget, and relate to water.
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This thesis examines the Margueriedok - Antwerp's last tidal dock still connected to the Scheldt - as a material site of fragmented memory, suspended infrastructure, and evolving urban-water relations. Using a method of partial reading that combines field observation, archival analysis, and critical theory, the project interprets three site fragments: a blue stone quay wall, a truncated railway line, and the Dutch Pilotage Building. Each chapter explores how these remnants embody past regimes of circulation, control, and resistance, revealing tensions between heritage and redevelopment, memory and erasure. Rather than reconstructing a linear history, the thesis foregrounds ambiguity, material latency, and spatial entanglement as crucial tools for rethinking post-industrial waterfronts. In doing so, it challenges dominant narratives of urban transformation that prioritise clarity, accessibility, and security over complexity, contradiction, and historical depth. The Margueriedok is presented not as a ruin, but as an active assemblage - one that resists easy erasure and invites alternative readings of how cities remember, forget, and relate to water.
Flowing through time
Tracing the Legacy of Nicosia’s Historic Water Systems and Their Role in Shaping the Urban Landscape
From its natural reliance on the Pedieos River to the development of complex water infrastructure, water has always been central to Nicosia’s survival, governance, and urban identity. In the context of heritage preservation, understanding the historical trajectory of water management in cities with complex pasts is crucial for modern urban planning. In Nicosia, water infrastructure reflects the influence of various ruling powers throughout the city’s history while also demonstrating how water management priorities and challenges shifted under each government.
This paper explores how historical water management practices have shaped Nicosia’s urban landscape and socio-political structures, from the early settlements to the contemporary challenges of a divided city.
By analysing historical maps, archival records, research, and architectural remains, this study investigates how water has been a defining element in the growth of Nicosia, both physically and culturally. It aims to uncover valuable insights into how past water management systems can inform contemporary urban challenges, including water scarcity, infrastructure sustainability, and equitable resource distribution.
Examining the water management strategies employed under different rulers in Nicosia offers lessons for modern water governance, particularly in politically divided regions. These historical strategies may help guide future water systems that are sustainable, decentralized, and integrated into cultural heritage planning.
...
This paper explores how historical water management practices have shaped Nicosia’s urban landscape and socio-political structures, from the early settlements to the contemporary challenges of a divided city.
By analysing historical maps, archival records, research, and architectural remains, this study investigates how water has been a defining element in the growth of Nicosia, both physically and culturally. It aims to uncover valuable insights into how past water management systems can inform contemporary urban challenges, including water scarcity, infrastructure sustainability, and equitable resource distribution.
Examining the water management strategies employed under different rulers in Nicosia offers lessons for modern water governance, particularly in politically divided regions. These historical strategies may help guide future water systems that are sustainable, decentralized, and integrated into cultural heritage planning.
...
From its natural reliance on the Pedieos River to the development of complex water infrastructure, water has always been central to Nicosia’s survival, governance, and urban identity. In the context of heritage preservation, understanding the historical trajectory of water management in cities with complex pasts is crucial for modern urban planning. In Nicosia, water infrastructure reflects the influence of various ruling powers throughout the city’s history while also demonstrating how water management priorities and challenges shifted under each government.
This paper explores how historical water management practices have shaped Nicosia’s urban landscape and socio-political structures, from the early settlements to the contemporary challenges of a divided city.
By analysing historical maps, archival records, research, and architectural remains, this study investigates how water has been a defining element in the growth of Nicosia, both physically and culturally. It aims to uncover valuable insights into how past water management systems can inform contemporary urban challenges, including water scarcity, infrastructure sustainability, and equitable resource distribution.
Examining the water management strategies employed under different rulers in Nicosia offers lessons for modern water governance, particularly in politically divided regions. These historical strategies may help guide future water systems that are sustainable, decentralized, and integrated into cultural heritage planning.
This paper explores how historical water management practices have shaped Nicosia’s urban landscape and socio-political structures, from the early settlements to the contemporary challenges of a divided city.
By analysing historical maps, archival records, research, and architectural remains, this study investigates how water has been a defining element in the growth of Nicosia, both physically and culturally. It aims to uncover valuable insights into how past water management systems can inform contemporary urban challenges, including water scarcity, infrastructure sustainability, and equitable resource distribution.
Examining the water management strategies employed under different rulers in Nicosia offers lessons for modern water governance, particularly in politically divided regions. These historical strategies may help guide future water systems that are sustainable, decentralized, and integrated into cultural heritage planning.
Tokyo’s waterways, once integral to the city’s cultural and urban life, have undergone significant changes over time. In the Edo period (1603–1868) and up to the Taisho period (1912–1926), rivers were a central feature of cultural activities, including swimming. However, as urbanization and industrialization progressed, these practices largely disappeared. This thesis aims to explore the historical evolution of swimming in Tokyo’s rivers, investigating its role in shaping urban life and cultural identity.
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Tokyo’s waterways, once integral to the city’s cultural and urban life, have undergone significant changes over time. In the Edo period (1603–1868) and up to the Taisho period (1912–1926), rivers were a central feature of cultural activities, including swimming. However, as urbanization and industrialization progressed, these practices largely disappeared. This thesis aims to explore the historical evolution of swimming in Tokyo’s rivers, investigating its role in shaping urban life and cultural identity.
Why Don't We Seaweed?
A research for seaweed cultivation as a nature-based solution, embracing the ecosystem services of seaweed, in the context of the Port of Rotterdam
This thesis explores the potential of seaweed cultivation as a nature-based solution (NbS) for achieving sustainability goals in the Port of Rotterdam. By integrating the ecosystem services framework and the Building with Nature (BwN) concept, the study investigates the enabling and constraining factors for implementing seaweed farming in an industrial port context. The Port of Rotterdam, Europe's largest port, is striving to become climate-neutral by 2050, aligning with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, despite its ongoing sustainability initiatives, the port has yet to incorporate NbS into its strategy.
Through a combination of literature review and semi-structured interviews with experts, this research identifies the potential benefits of seaweed cultivation through ecosystem services, focusing on provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural services. The findings suggest that seaweed cultivation could contribute significantly to the port’s environmental and economic objectives by providing ecosystem services and supporting the port's transition towards a circular and sustainable economy. However, some challenges need to be addressed before implementing seaweed cultivation, such as regulatory and policy barriers, spatial constraints, and stakeholder conflicts.
The findings suggest that seaweed cultivation in the Port of Rotterdam should primarily be pursued for research purposes at this stage. Stakeholders should be encouraged to form innovation clusters, which could serve as the starting point for integrating seaweed cultivation into the port’s sustainability strategy and achieving broader SDGs. As knowledge and expertise in seaweed cultivation grow, these innovation clusters could help establish the necessary permits and frameworks and potentially identify a test site. By sharing knowledge on seaweed cultivation practices, the Port of Rotterdam can enhance its global position as a leader in sustainable port development.
The study concludes with recommendations for integrating seaweed cultivation into the Port of Rotterdam’s sustainability vision, highlighting the importance of collaboration between industry, government, and academia to overcome existing barriers and maximize the ecological and economic potential of seaweed as a sustainable resource. ...
Through a combination of literature review and semi-structured interviews with experts, this research identifies the potential benefits of seaweed cultivation through ecosystem services, focusing on provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural services. The findings suggest that seaweed cultivation could contribute significantly to the port’s environmental and economic objectives by providing ecosystem services and supporting the port's transition towards a circular and sustainable economy. However, some challenges need to be addressed before implementing seaweed cultivation, such as regulatory and policy barriers, spatial constraints, and stakeholder conflicts.
The findings suggest that seaweed cultivation in the Port of Rotterdam should primarily be pursued for research purposes at this stage. Stakeholders should be encouraged to form innovation clusters, which could serve as the starting point for integrating seaweed cultivation into the port’s sustainability strategy and achieving broader SDGs. As knowledge and expertise in seaweed cultivation grow, these innovation clusters could help establish the necessary permits and frameworks and potentially identify a test site. By sharing knowledge on seaweed cultivation practices, the Port of Rotterdam can enhance its global position as a leader in sustainable port development.
The study concludes with recommendations for integrating seaweed cultivation into the Port of Rotterdam’s sustainability vision, highlighting the importance of collaboration between industry, government, and academia to overcome existing barriers and maximize the ecological and economic potential of seaweed as a sustainable resource. ...
This thesis explores the potential of seaweed cultivation as a nature-based solution (NbS) for achieving sustainability goals in the Port of Rotterdam. By integrating the ecosystem services framework and the Building with Nature (BwN) concept, the study investigates the enabling and constraining factors for implementing seaweed farming in an industrial port context. The Port of Rotterdam, Europe's largest port, is striving to become climate-neutral by 2050, aligning with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, despite its ongoing sustainability initiatives, the port has yet to incorporate NbS into its strategy.
Through a combination of literature review and semi-structured interviews with experts, this research identifies the potential benefits of seaweed cultivation through ecosystem services, focusing on provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural services. The findings suggest that seaweed cultivation could contribute significantly to the port’s environmental and economic objectives by providing ecosystem services and supporting the port's transition towards a circular and sustainable economy. However, some challenges need to be addressed before implementing seaweed cultivation, such as regulatory and policy barriers, spatial constraints, and stakeholder conflicts.
The findings suggest that seaweed cultivation in the Port of Rotterdam should primarily be pursued for research purposes at this stage. Stakeholders should be encouraged to form innovation clusters, which could serve as the starting point for integrating seaweed cultivation into the port’s sustainability strategy and achieving broader SDGs. As knowledge and expertise in seaweed cultivation grow, these innovation clusters could help establish the necessary permits and frameworks and potentially identify a test site. By sharing knowledge on seaweed cultivation practices, the Port of Rotterdam can enhance its global position as a leader in sustainable port development.
The study concludes with recommendations for integrating seaweed cultivation into the Port of Rotterdam’s sustainability vision, highlighting the importance of collaboration between industry, government, and academia to overcome existing barriers and maximize the ecological and economic potential of seaweed as a sustainable resource.
Through a combination of literature review and semi-structured interviews with experts, this research identifies the potential benefits of seaweed cultivation through ecosystem services, focusing on provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural services. The findings suggest that seaweed cultivation could contribute significantly to the port’s environmental and economic objectives by providing ecosystem services and supporting the port's transition towards a circular and sustainable economy. However, some challenges need to be addressed before implementing seaweed cultivation, such as regulatory and policy barriers, spatial constraints, and stakeholder conflicts.
The findings suggest that seaweed cultivation in the Port of Rotterdam should primarily be pursued for research purposes at this stage. Stakeholders should be encouraged to form innovation clusters, which could serve as the starting point for integrating seaweed cultivation into the port’s sustainability strategy and achieving broader SDGs. As knowledge and expertise in seaweed cultivation grow, these innovation clusters could help establish the necessary permits and frameworks and potentially identify a test site. By sharing knowledge on seaweed cultivation practices, the Port of Rotterdam can enhance its global position as a leader in sustainable port development.
The study concludes with recommendations for integrating seaweed cultivation into the Port of Rotterdam’s sustainability vision, highlighting the importance of collaboration between industry, government, and academia to overcome existing barriers and maximize the ecological and economic potential of seaweed as a sustainable resource.
The Layman's Mosaic
The Participatory Search towards Relief and Resilience in the post-disaster context of Antakya
In Februari of 2023, The south of Turkiye was struck by a devastating earthquake, taking the life of thousands and dispossessing the homes of millions. After having spent three months in Hatay in the wake of the earthquake I have seen how by means of their culture and getting together, the people are able to find comfort. The attention towards public spaces which could provide in this is however nihil, where the focus is mainly oriented towards housing. Moreover do many architects, NGOs and other aid organizations in similar postdisaster situations, offer solutions which do not meet the demand of the users. Lastly, is there in Türkiye a ‘Culture of forgetting’, which disables them from being shielded from future adversaries. All of these issues have led to the exploration on how Spaces of Gathering (S.o.G) can be produced, which offer relief on the short term but also generate more resilience on the long term. Within this research, this has been sought for through a combined methodology of Participatory Action Research (PAR) and Research through Design (RtD). This took the shape of establishing a List of Requirements (L.o.R.), of which the ambiguous parts in that list have been defined through a Participatory Design (P.D.) strategy. This resulted in a preliminary attempt towards a checklist for the production of such Spaces of Gathering, in order for them to provide in providing relief and generating resilience. The final result is succoured with an advice for the improvement of the methodology and strategy to be adapted in future endeavours. The final checklist is furthermore provided. The idea however is that this will be revised and bettered continuously.
...
In Februari of 2023, The south of Turkiye was struck by a devastating earthquake, taking the life of thousands and dispossessing the homes of millions. After having spent three months in Hatay in the wake of the earthquake I have seen how by means of their culture and getting together, the people are able to find comfort. The attention towards public spaces which could provide in this is however nihil, where the focus is mainly oriented towards housing. Moreover do many architects, NGOs and other aid organizations in similar postdisaster situations, offer solutions which do not meet the demand of the users. Lastly, is there in Türkiye a ‘Culture of forgetting’, which disables them from being shielded from future adversaries. All of these issues have led to the exploration on how Spaces of Gathering (S.o.G) can be produced, which offer relief on the short term but also generate more resilience on the long term. Within this research, this has been sought for through a combined methodology of Participatory Action Research (PAR) and Research through Design (RtD). This took the shape of establishing a List of Requirements (L.o.R.), of which the ambiguous parts in that list have been defined through a Participatory Design (P.D.) strategy. This resulted in a preliminary attempt towards a checklist for the production of such Spaces of Gathering, in order for them to provide in providing relief and generating resilience. The final result is succoured with an advice for the improvement of the methodology and strategy to be adapted in future endeavours. The final checklist is furthermore provided. The idea however is that this will be revised and bettered continuously.
Parched Paradise
A Water Culture beyond Modernity in Mexico City
The project exmines the impacts of Water Culture in the Modern Period in Mexico City and aims to establish an alternate pathway in wake of socio-environmental pressures.
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The project exmines the impacts of Water Culture in the Modern Period in Mexico City and aims to establish an alternate pathway in wake of socio-environmental pressures.
The thesis explores the planning heritage created by the Chinese government’s industrial efforts in Daqing from the late 1950s to the late 1980s. It focuses on how petroleum infrastructure and residential developments reshaped the local environment. By examining Daqing’s planning history through the concept of “planning heritage”, as discussed by both international and Chinese scholars, this research argues that documenting planning practices—particularly by addressing planning failures—provides Chinese historians a path to preserve a planning heritage that may diverge from state-endorsed narratives.
Contrasting with the official, heroic portrayal of Daqing’s oilfield development, this work exposes the overlooked and suppressed aspects of mining area planning, construction, and local living conditions. Utilizing the Global Palimpsestic Petroleumscape (GPP) framework, designed initially for capitalist petroleum industries, the study assesses Daqing’s planning policy, rule, and directive path dependencies and the disruptions from political power shifts. By adapting the GPP framework to Daqing’s unique context, this research highlights how these dependencies and interruptions have shaped Daqing’s planning legacy within a state-led socialist system.
The thesis challenges dominant narratives and underscores the importance of a balanced historical perspective encompassing both achievements and failures. It aims to serve as a critical resource for scholars in architectural and urban history and planning studies, especially those exploring heritage within complex political frameworks. ...
Contrasting with the official, heroic portrayal of Daqing’s oilfield development, this work exposes the overlooked and suppressed aspects of mining area planning, construction, and local living conditions. Utilizing the Global Palimpsestic Petroleumscape (GPP) framework, designed initially for capitalist petroleum industries, the study assesses Daqing’s planning policy, rule, and directive path dependencies and the disruptions from political power shifts. By adapting the GPP framework to Daqing’s unique context, this research highlights how these dependencies and interruptions have shaped Daqing’s planning legacy within a state-led socialist system.
The thesis challenges dominant narratives and underscores the importance of a balanced historical perspective encompassing both achievements and failures. It aims to serve as a critical resource for scholars in architectural and urban history and planning studies, especially those exploring heritage within complex political frameworks. ...
The thesis explores the planning heritage created by the Chinese government’s industrial efforts in Daqing from the late 1950s to the late 1980s. It focuses on how petroleum infrastructure and residential developments reshaped the local environment. By examining Daqing’s planning history through the concept of “planning heritage”, as discussed by both international and Chinese scholars, this research argues that documenting planning practices—particularly by addressing planning failures—provides Chinese historians a path to preserve a planning heritage that may diverge from state-endorsed narratives.
Contrasting with the official, heroic portrayal of Daqing’s oilfield development, this work exposes the overlooked and suppressed aspects of mining area planning, construction, and local living conditions. Utilizing the Global Palimpsestic Petroleumscape (GPP) framework, designed initially for capitalist petroleum industries, the study assesses Daqing’s planning policy, rule, and directive path dependencies and the disruptions from political power shifts. By adapting the GPP framework to Daqing’s unique context, this research highlights how these dependencies and interruptions have shaped Daqing’s planning legacy within a state-led socialist system.
The thesis challenges dominant narratives and underscores the importance of a balanced historical perspective encompassing both achievements and failures. It aims to serve as a critical resource for scholars in architectural and urban history and planning studies, especially those exploring heritage within complex political frameworks.
Contrasting with the official, heroic portrayal of Daqing’s oilfield development, this work exposes the overlooked and suppressed aspects of mining area planning, construction, and local living conditions. Utilizing the Global Palimpsestic Petroleumscape (GPP) framework, designed initially for capitalist petroleum industries, the study assesses Daqing’s planning policy, rule, and directive path dependencies and the disruptions from political power shifts. By adapting the GPP framework to Daqing’s unique context, this research highlights how these dependencies and interruptions have shaped Daqing’s planning legacy within a state-led socialist system.
The thesis challenges dominant narratives and underscores the importance of a balanced historical perspective encompassing both achievements and failures. It aims to serve as a critical resource for scholars in architectural and urban history and planning studies, especially those exploring heritage within complex political frameworks.
Research on Urban Heritage Values based on the UNESCO Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) Approach
The case study of Suzhou
As far as a historic city is concerned, a city is a dynamic complex which consists of many different interrelated and interactive elements. It is unreasonable to assess urban heritage by using a single value category. The evaluation of urban heritage values needs to develop a theoretical framework to represent the relationships between different elements. In view of the above issues, there is so far still a lack of systematic study on urban heritage values in Chinese academic circles. Therefore, it is necessary to construct the value system of urban heritage by adopting a scientific method.
This study aims to build up an integrated value system to facilitate the identification of urban heritage values, so that the complexity of urban heritage values is revealed through connections of different elements. The research work includes theoretical construction and a case study. First, the HUL is interpreted as a method of spatialtemporal scale by discussing the philosophical framework of HUL. Based on this finding, the gap between HUL at the operational level and the heritage value theories is filled. Second, as a case study, the analysis of the ancient city Suzhou is a verification of the value system of urban heritage in the practical sense. It also proves that the constructed value system is reasonable and achievable for urban conservation in the Chinese context. ...
This study aims to build up an integrated value system to facilitate the identification of urban heritage values, so that the complexity of urban heritage values is revealed through connections of different elements. The research work includes theoretical construction and a case study. First, the HUL is interpreted as a method of spatialtemporal scale by discussing the philosophical framework of HUL. Based on this finding, the gap between HUL at the operational level and the heritage value theories is filled. Second, as a case study, the analysis of the ancient city Suzhou is a verification of the value system of urban heritage in the practical sense. It also proves that the constructed value system is reasonable and achievable for urban conservation in the Chinese context. ...
As far as a historic city is concerned, a city is a dynamic complex which consists of many different interrelated and interactive elements. It is unreasonable to assess urban heritage by using a single value category. The evaluation of urban heritage values needs to develop a theoretical framework to represent the relationships between different elements. In view of the above issues, there is so far still a lack of systematic study on urban heritage values in Chinese academic circles. Therefore, it is necessary to construct the value system of urban heritage by adopting a scientific method.
This study aims to build up an integrated value system to facilitate the identification of urban heritage values, so that the complexity of urban heritage values is revealed through connections of different elements. The research work includes theoretical construction and a case study. First, the HUL is interpreted as a method of spatialtemporal scale by discussing the philosophical framework of HUL. Based on this finding, the gap between HUL at the operational level and the heritage value theories is filled. Second, as a case study, the analysis of the ancient city Suzhou is a verification of the value system of urban heritage in the practical sense. It also proves that the constructed value system is reasonable and achievable for urban conservation in the Chinese context.
This study aims to build up an integrated value system to facilitate the identification of urban heritage values, so that the complexity of urban heritage values is revealed through connections of different elements. The research work includes theoretical construction and a case study. First, the HUL is interpreted as a method of spatialtemporal scale by discussing the philosophical framework of HUL. Based on this finding, the gap between HUL at the operational level and the heritage value theories is filled. Second, as a case study, the analysis of the ancient city Suzhou is a verification of the value system of urban heritage in the practical sense. It also proves that the constructed value system is reasonable and achievable for urban conservation in the Chinese context.
Navigating a Petroleumscape
Shaping transnational oil modernity at the crossroads of global flows and local territories
The thesis explores Ahwaz's transformation throughout the 20th century, emphasizing the profound impact of the oil industry on the city's architectural and urban development. From its emergence in obscurity to its prominence before the Iran-Iraq war, Ahwaz's journey mirrors the far-reaching influence of oil on urban modernity. The narrative weaves a complex tapestry of global dynamics and local distinctiveness, detailing how oil shaped not only the city's landscape but also its identity. The research underscores the intricate interplay between global forces and local characteristics, showcasing Ahwaz as a resilient blend of history, culture, and urban development. It highlights the city's defiance of simplistic categorizations, celebrating its diverse industries and the convergence of global influences. The study concludes by positioning Ahwaz as a living testament to the enduring legacy of the past, an ever-evolving urban canvas that reflects the complex interplay of architecture, culture, and power, perpetuated by the transformative force of petroleum.
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The thesis explores Ahwaz's transformation throughout the 20th century, emphasizing the profound impact of the oil industry on the city's architectural and urban development. From its emergence in obscurity to its prominence before the Iran-Iraq war, Ahwaz's journey mirrors the far-reaching influence of oil on urban modernity. The narrative weaves a complex tapestry of global dynamics and local distinctiveness, detailing how oil shaped not only the city's landscape but also its identity. The research underscores the intricate interplay between global forces and local characteristics, showcasing Ahwaz as a resilient blend of history, culture, and urban development. It highlights the city's defiance of simplistic categorizations, celebrating its diverse industries and the convergence of global influences. The study concludes by positioning Ahwaz as a living testament to the enduring legacy of the past, an ever-evolving urban canvas that reflects the complex interplay of architecture, culture, and power, perpetuated by the transformative force of petroleum.