This thesis explores how Dutch infrastructural interventions—particularly those relating to flood defence—have been shaped not only by material concerns but by the language, assumptions, and narratives surrounding them. Focusing on three moments of infrastructural decision-making—1960, 1976, and 2018—it traces the development of discourse around nature, control, and human responsibility.
The research examines post-1953 Delta Works, revealing how flood safety was framed as a matter of rational mastery. While ecological effects were mostly overlooked or reinterpreted in financial terms, engineers were imagined national heroes. This framing persisted through to the mid-1970s, even as protests emerged and ecological awareness grew.
Drawing on a range of sources—including governmental reports, parliamentary debates, and newspapers—the thesis examines how acknowledgment for ecological concerns slowly increased, but was never truly independent from a controlling, top-down approach. Even in seemingly restorative decisions, such as the reopening of the Haringvliet sluices in 2018, nature was granted a role under strict parameters—constantly monitored and managed to fit human demands.
Rather than a straightforward shift from control to co-constitution, the thesis suggests a more subtle reconfiguration: in which the language of responsibility and guardianship continues to mask the systems of human dominance. This framing not only influences policy but reflects broader cultural assumptions about who is 'permitted' agency. What emerges is a need to think more carefully about what it means to share space—both ecologically and discursively.

This thesis examines the role of urban planning in the establishment of colonial power structures in Santo Domingo, the first Spanish settlement in the Americas. Founded in 1502 by Governor Nicolás de Ovando, Santo Domingo became an administrative center and a spatial model for later colonial cities across the New World. Central to this study is the orthogonal grid plan and the design of public plazas, particularly the Plaza Mayor, which were not merely public spaces in the city but spatial instruments embedded with ideologies of oppression.

While scholars have explored the origins and influences of the colonial grid, as well as the social and economic aspects of labor and race under Spanish rule, relatively little attention has been paid to how these factors intersected within the built environment of early colonial cities. This thesis addresses that gap by asking: how did the spatial configuration and use of the Plaza Mayor, including features such as La Picota, function as tools of social control and racial oppression in colonial Santo Domingo, and how are these narratives embedded in the city’s contemporary urban landscape?

Through spatial analysis of historical maps and archival documents, this research demonstrates how the city’s urban fabric was deliberately designed to reinforce racial hierarchies and maintain colonial order. The Plaza Mayor operated not only as a symbolic and administrative center but also as a stage for public punishment, surveillance, and exclusion of enslaved and marginalized populations. The findings of this study contribute to a nuanced understanding of spatial mechanisms used in Spanish colonial urbanism and the legacy of racialized spatial organization in Santo Domingo.

This thesis examines how diverse spatial strategies have been used as tools of control by the French state over Algerian populations. Focusing on three critical examples (the Bone Fortress (1855–1858), the Ameziane Farm (1957–1960), and the 1961 curfew imposed on Algerians in Paris) the research investigates the genealogy of the implementations of different forms of confinement throughout the French colonial project. Drawing on theoretical frameworks from Tschumi and Goldberg Hiller, as well as testimonies and archival research from Jean-Luc Einaudi, Nadia Biskri, and Leïla Sebbar, it reveals how architecture and space served not just as a backdrops but as an active agent in the reproduction of targeted violence and systemic oppression.
This thesis utilizes detailed case studies to illustrate how these spaces served as more than just detention sites; they emerged as mechanisms for shaping freedom, fragmenting communities, and reinforcing colonial ideologies. The curfew imposed in October 1961 triggered a protest by the Algerian community in Paris, which tragically culminated in the massacre of Algerian demonstrators by the French police. This curfew is examined as both the culmination of past colonial policies and a striking example of urban spatial violence within the metropole. Ultimately, this study contends that the legacies of such spatial confinements are complex and need to be addressed and discussed to build a better future together.

This history thesis delves into the impact of environmental changes induced by the agricultural industry in the Mekong Delta on rural Khmer vernacular housing construction. Focusing on the accessibility to traditionally used wood species integral to the Khmer ethnic group's architectural practices, this study explores the intricate construction techniques associated with each wood type. The agricultural sector's expansion in the region since 1970s has catalyzed significant environmental transformations, potentially jeopardizing the availability of these essential wood materials. By delving into the historical and ecological context of the Mekong Delta, the study explores the interplay between agricultural expansion, deforestation, and alterations in wood availability for local construction practices. The Delta begins in Phnom Penh in Cambodia where Mekong River meets Tonle Sap River and spans till it reaches the South China Sea in Vietnam. It is a vital region, known for its rich biodiversity, agricultural productivity since ancient times, and unique ecosystems. It has historically relied on a diverse array of wood types for crafting Khmer vernacular housing, which evolved very little between Angkorean times and French colonial rule. This paper examines how environmental transformations induced by agricultural industry, which started as early as 1900 and live till the present, have impacted traditional building materials crucial for Khmer architectural styles. It highlights the importance of considering environmental sustainability in preserving traditional building practices and safeguarding cultural identity within Khmer vernacular architecture in the Mekong Delta.

The intricate relationship between water appropriation, human settlement dynamics, and cultural practices is exemplified in the case of the Klip River in South Africa. This 120-kilometer river, a major tributary of the Vaal River, has been significantly altered by human activities over the past century, particularly due to gold mining in the Witwatersrand region. The consequences of mining, including acid mine drainage and heavy metal pollution, have led to challenges in water quality and ecosystem collapse along the Klip River and its wetland network, impacting downstream areas including the Vaal River and its barrage system. Despite these environmental threats, religious practices such as river baptisms persist along the banks of the Klip River, demonstrating the enduring socio-cultural significance of water despite its compromised state. This paper proposes a novel approach to understanding the intersection of mining-induced alterations to water systems and socio-cultural practices by tracing the trajectory of toxicity along the Klip River. By utilizing diverse sources including archival data, scientific literature, and contemporary accounts, the study aims to geolocate and analyze the impact of mining pollution on the river and its surrounding environment, juxtaposed with the continuation of religious rituals along its banks. This interdisciplinary approach integrates insights from environmental and social sciences, shedding light on the complex interplay between human activities, ecological degradation, and cultural resilience in shaping the Klip River landscape.