This thesis examines post-socialist urban transformations in Saint Petersburg through the lens of the renovation of Soviet architectural heritage, which reveals the rise of urban authoritarianism. Using a mixed-methods approach – combining interviews, observation, mapping, statistics, network analysis and online ethnography – it explores the political, economic and social dynamics that have shaped the city since the fall of the USSR. The research highlights the gradual commodification of the ‘socialist city’, whilst challenging the dominant narratives of neoliberalisation, notably by revealing the clientelist and authoritarian dynamics of urban power at work in projects involving the demolition and reconstruction of Soviet buildings.

The Narvskaya Zastava district, a former iconic working-class area, serves as the main case study for analysing the resulting tensions between heritage preservation and urban transformation. Drawing on both fieldwork and digital research, the thesis demonstrates that heritage becomes a strategic space for challenging authoritarianism and forced politicisation. Expertise – architectural, historical and legal – is mobilised there as a political resource by residents, activists, professionals and, at times, representatives of the authorities, thereby revealing the internal flaws and tensions within the authoritarian state.

The survey, however, highlights the variety of motivations underlying residents’ reactions—whether in favour of or opposed to the regeneration projects—and reveals post-socialist social relations that are far more complex than a simple dichotomy between the winners and losers of economic liberalisation.

Composition of the jury:

• Béatrice VON HIRSCHHAUSEN, CNRS Research Director, Géographie-cités/Marc Bloch Centre (Rapporteur)
• Martin MÜLLER, Professor, University of Lausanne (Rapporteur)
• Elsa VIVANT, University Professor, Gustave Eiffel University (PhD supervisor)
• Martine DROZDZ, CNRS Research Fellow, LATTS/French House in Oxford (Joint thesis supervisor)
• Claire CARRIOU, University Professor, Université Paris-Est Créteil (Examiner)
• Lydia COUDROY DE LILLE, University Professor, Lumière Lyon 2 University (Examiner)
• Ozan KARAMAN, CNRS Research Fellow, LATTS (Examiner)
• Perrine POUPIN, CNRS Research Fellow, CRESSON (ENSA Grenoble) (Examiner)

The aim of this thesis is to understand how urban planning and aviation have mutually influenced one another, and how these constant interactions have shaped our contemporary culture. The study begins in 1909, when large-scale public spectacles introduced the invention of powered flight to the public. From this point onwards, the relationship between developments in aviation culture and the field of urban planning would continue to shape a discourse on the city of the future. From this perspective, the thesis demonstrates how concepts such as the ‘aerial city’ or the ‘airport-city’ function as a mirror for the city in the making. By tracing a history of these complex distortions, the research demonstrates that the airport is ultimately not the prototype of a non-place but a specific and concrete space, the result of a complex alchemy that qualifies the assertion that globalisation leads to the homogenisation of urban space.

Since the end of the 20th century, the Manila metropolitan area has been undergoing ‘urban transformation’. This term refers to a set of interrelated phenomena, including the consolidation of the middle classes, the establishment of service companies and the development of a consumer-oriented economy – the latter being strikingly illustrated by the proliferation of shopping centres, which are key urban features in the Philippine capital region. These factors have led not only to a transformation of the urban landscape, but also to the internationalisation of the economy and the emergence of new lifestyles.

This thesis proposes to examine this urban change in Greater Manila through the lens of the electricity sector. The phenomena described have significant implications for energy policy: a substantial increase in electricity demand, higher expectations regarding service reliability, and new approaches to infrastructure planning and deployment. However, the relationship between urban change and the electricity sector is two-way, and tensions can be observed regarding tariffs or the quality of the grid, insofar as these factors constrain the economic and social transformations taking place in the Philippine capital.

 By drawing on various strands of literature—on the middle classes, the political economy of urban production, and major technical networks—this thesis examines the socio-technical developments of the electricity supply in Greater Manila. To this end, it draws on the concept of ‘modernity’, which helps to understand the emerging norms and representations surrounding the provision of the service. Consequently, the thesis identifies the gaps between the ideals of modernity and existing practices. In doing so, it analyses the tensions generated by these misalignments and discusses the challenges of universalising the network, ensuring the homogeneity of its coverage, evolving its form (large centralised network or ‘post-reticular’ structure) and adapting to environmental constraints.

Members of the jury

• Yves Boquet, Professor at the University of Burgundy
• Kathryn Furlong, Professor at the University of Montreal (rapporteur)
• Sylvy Jaglin, Professor at the University of Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée (Director)
• Loraine Kennedy, Research Director at the CNRS, UMR CEIAS
• Dominique Lorrain, Emeritus Research Director at the CNRS, UMR LATTS
• Hélène Reigner, Professor at the University of Aix-Marseille
• Éric Verdeil, Professor at the IEP in Paris (rapporteur)

In response to negative feedback regarding the operational aspects of sustainable urban projects, urban planning practitioners are increasingly incorporating operational considerations relating to energy systems into the design process. The aim of this research is to examine the effects of this integration of operational issues on the urban design process. Through a case study, we demonstrate that the integration of operational concerns leads to changes in technical choices, energy objectives and the social organisation of the design process. We are witnessing a divergence in technical choices, following a double-loop learning process among stakeholders, where objectives must be revised during the design phase in order to move forward. Indeed, thinking in terms of operation leads to different design choices that prioritise the quality of use and the services provided.

When it comes to the organisation of the design process, the integration of operational considerations does not

It does not challenge the hierarchical and linear structure of how stakeholders organise their activities. However, it does facilitate the emergence of new stakeholders, such as operators of energy and multi-service systems. More broadly, the research shows that feedback from over fifteen years of experience in the operation of sustainable neighbourhoods contributes to an inter-professional learning process, the outcomes of which generate new technical or project benchmarks and contribute to the renewal of professional cultures. In this way, the design process is transformed. The analysis places particular emphasis on the importance of technical objects in consolidating the learning of stakeholders—objects around which lessons and feedback crystallise.

Composition of the jury

• Véronique Biau, Chief State Architect and Urban Planner, École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris-La Villette (Rapporteur)
• Gilles Debizet, Senior Lecturer, Université Grenoble-Alpes (Rapporteur)
• Joëlle Forest, Senior Lecturer, National Institute of Applied Sciences, Lyon (Examiner)
• Caroline Gallez, Research Director, Gustave Eiffel University (Examiner)
• Laurent Michelin, Director of Innovation, Bouygues Immobilier (Guest speaker)
• Taoufik Souami, Professor, Université Paris-Est (Supervisor)

In cities across sub-Saharan Africa, electricity grids are unreliable, inadequate and sometimes non-existent, whilst demand is rising. To meet their needs, city dwellers employ a variety of technologies, giving rise to diverse socio-technical systems. At the level of each city, this results in a unique urban electricity configuration.

Comparing a selection of neighbourhoods that reflect urban diversity in Ibadan (Nigeria) and Cotonou (Benin), the research demonstrates that urban practices regarding access to electricity fuel processes of hybridisation in which improvements in the quality and continuity of service depend on ambivalent market and social dynamics that fail to lift the most vulnerable city dwellers out of the poverty trap.

Ultimately, the urban electrification transition requires us to move beyond the framework of a single, uniform conventional grid and instead envisage the contours of a socio-technically heterogeneous urban service, tailored to the diversity of urban living conditions.

Composition of the jury

• Armelle Choplin, Associate Professor at the University of Geneva (co-director)
• Sylvy Jaglin, Professor at Gustave Eiffel University (Director)
• Franck Scherrer, Professor at the University of Montreal (rapporteur)
• Éric Verdeil, Professor at Sciences Po Paris (examiner)
• Marie-Hélène Zérah, Research Director at IRD (rapporteur)
• Guest jury member: Olivier Coutard, CNRS Research Director at Latts (guest)

This thesis adopts an interdisciplinary approach to develop a quantitative model of energy consumption based on ‘housing situations’ (household-dwelling relationships), domestic practices and residential contexts. It is divided into three parts.

Firstly, a review of the literature on the main models in engineering and the humanities helps to identify the theoretical frameworks for an approach that combines households and housing (‘housing situation’). In the second chapter, methods for modelling domestic practices are discussed, in order to determine which are most relevant for studying the links between housing situations and residential lifestyles. In the final, third chapter, drawing on a mixture model of logistic regression, a hierarchical model of domestic energy consumption based on housing situations is proposed.

Situated between typological and regression-based approaches, one of the contributions of this thesis is to propose, within a single methodology, both a typology of housing situations and a regression model. The estimation performance of the results is equivalent to that of the leading models; however, they offer greater explanatory power by linking domestic practices to energy consumption. This method also allows for the integration of a segmentation of domestic practices into a model of energy consumption at the household level. The thesis also has a heuristic dimension. It first demonstrates the links between housing situations and practices related to equipment, occupancy and regulatory actions. Furthermore, it presents ideal-typical housing situations identified on the basis of household characteristics, dwellings, behaviours and total domestic energy consumption, per person and per square metre. Finally, looking ahead, it paves the way for the development of further interdisciplinary approaches focusing on the transformation of housing situations.

Membership of the examination board:
Marjory Musy, Research Director, CEREMA, Rapporteur;
Fateh Belaïd, Researcher, KAPSARC, Rapporteur;
Faïcel Chamroukhi, University Professor, University of Caen, Examiner
Béatrice Roussillon, Senior Lecturer, University of Grenoble-Alpes, Examiner
Jean-Pierre Lévy, Research Director, CNRS, Thesis Supervisor
Latifa Oukhellou, Research Director, Gustave Eiffel University, Co-supervisor

Since the late 1980s, São Paulo has served as a prime testing ground for urban planning tools. Successive municipal administrations across the political spectrum have implemented large-scale urban regeneration projects, designating special zones within which specific regulations apply. More flexible building regulations and easier access to private investment are among the principles intended to drive the rapid regeneration and transformation of land and its uses, as well as the funding of social housing. These measures have proved ineffective in countering the immense socio-spatial inequalities that characterise Brazilian cities. On the contrary, they contribute to conflictual situations and to the exclusion of a section of the population from access to decent housing.  

In 2016, a new urban intervention project (PIU) was proposed to the local council by a Brazilian multinational company that owns land in the Vila Leopoldina neighbourhood, in the western part of São Paulo. This urban regeneration project immediately sparked a conflict between three groups of stakeholders with deep roots in the neighbourhood: the private sector, comprising the long-established economic and financial elite that has shaped Brazil’s patrimonialist social structure; upper-middle-class residents, a small local elite who have more recently settled in secure high-rise apartment blocks; and communities of poor residents, denied access to decent housing. 

Drawing on field research in São Paulo and an online analysis of social media and public consultations, this thesis traces the origins of the conflict and examines the forms of mobilisation and the spaces in which they take place, with a particular focus on built environment. It posits that this territorialised conflict centred on an urban planning instrument (the PIU) is indicative of both the social structures of Brazilian society and the heritage-oriented urban development characteristic of Brazil’s major cities. To demonstrate this, the thesis analyses and compares the territorialised moral economies of the three groups of actors involved in the conflict. 

Composition of the jury

• Marie-Hélène Bacqué, Professor, University of Paris-Ouest (Rapporteur)
• Agnès Deboulet, Professor, University of Paris 8 (Examiner)
• Ana Fernandes, Professor, Federal University of Bahia (Rapporteur)
• Sylvy Jaglin, Professor, Gustave Eiffel University (Joint Supervisor)
• Ozan Karaman, Research Fellow, CNRS (Joint PhD supervisor)
• João Sette Whitaker Ferreira, Professor, University of São Paulo (Joint Supervisor)

For the past fifteen years or so, cities have been grappling with the rise of digital technology. This issue has been placed on the agenda not only by public sector bodies, which feel more or less compelled to embrace the modernity of the ‘smart city’, but also by a wide range of actors outside the traditional urban sphere, who see economic opportunities in it. This thesis is based on a study conducted in the cities of Nice, Rennes and Montpellier. It examines the effects of digital technology on the dynamics of collective action and on the links between policy and politics.

A detailed analysis of how local authorities have taken ownership of the process shows that the emphasis on communication often outweighs concrete achievements; nevertheless, the digital shift is nonetheless causing significant disruption, not only by upending established practices but also, and above all, by raising new questions about the very foundations of their work. The study then shows that behind the highly standardised rhetoric, different trajectories and priorities are emerging across the three regions, whilst the contours of a distinctly French trajectory for metropolitan areas in their relationship with digital technology are also becoming apparent.

Finally, the thesis highlights the rise of the platform in the digital age, whether in the practices, discourses or imaginations of those involved. It reveals that this development simultaneously heralds a break with the model of the networked city that has dominated our imaginations for the past 150 years, and the thesis explores the political consequences of this shift.

Members of the jury

• Nicolas Douay, University Professor, Université Grenoble Alpes (rapporteur)
• Patrick Le Galès, Research Director at the CNRS, Professor at Sciences Po Paris (rapporteur)
• Cécile Maisonneuve, Chair of La Fabrique de la Cité
• Antoine Picon, Research Director, École Nationale des Ponts ParisTech (PhD supervisor)
• François-Mathieu Poupeau, Research Director at the CNRS, Professor at École des Ponts ParisTech
• Antoinette Rouvroy, Senior Research Fellow at the National Fund for Scientific Research, Faculty of Law, University of Namur, Belgium

This thesis analyses the role of regional planning in the transformation of Greater Paris through an examination of transport infrastructure. Adopting a historical perspective, it assesses how the ideals of socio-spatial cohesion have been consistently invoked, both as drivers and as justifications for planning strategies since the post-war period. It highlights how discourses, imaginaries and concrete planning interventions have influenced the construction of a more unified metropolitan space, whilst revealing the instances in which these same dynamics have contributed to reinforcing disparities. An examination of the geographical, social and environmental consequences of regional transport infrastructure allows us to explore how evolving paradigms and visions — associated with density, compactness, modernity, sustainability and equity — have shaped the trajectories of urban development in Greater Paris. The thesis is structured around both historical and contemporary case studies. It begins with an analysis of ‘Greater Paris’, viewed both as an administrative project and as a structuring narrative, emphasising the persistence of the centre–periphery divide and the symbolic marginalisation of the suburbs. The early regional master plans are examined to demonstrate how concepts such as density and compactness were employed to reduce inequalities (and thus counter the division mentioned), whilst shaping new urban futures. The following chapters trace the transition from car-centred planning to a rail-centred model, a transition culminating in the Grand Paris Express project, highlighting the role of environmental narratives in this transformation. An in-depth study of Bobigny also illustrates the concrete effects of the various stages of transport infrastructure development on local urbanisation, showing how these measures have simultaneously supported and shaped socio-spatial dynamics. The research also includes two inter-chapters based on walking experiences in Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-d’Oise and the south-eastern areas of the Rome metropolitan region. These case studies highlight lived experiences of accessibility and exclusion, and enrich the documentary and discursive analysis. Rome, examined as a secondary case study, offers a comparative perspective: its more fragmented and gradual adoption of transport-oriented development principles underscores the uneven dissemination of European planning models and provides a counterpoint to the more ambitious strategies of Greater Paris. By examining the notions of social imaginaries linked to planning, transport–urbanisation dynamics and spatial justice, this thesis demonstrates that infrastructure has both fostered and constrained metropolitan cohesion. It argues that the regional planning of Greater Paris is not merely a technical and territorial process, but also constitutes an ideological framework that legitimises certain visions of the city whilst marginalising others. Finally, it advocates a rethinking of sustainability frameworks based on mobility, prioritising inclusion and territorial equity, and thus proposes avenues for promoting more equitable and resilient urban futures within European metropolitan areas.

Composition of the jury:

• Greet De Block, Professor, University of Antwerp, Examiner
• Laurent Devisme, University Professor, École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Nantes, Rapporteur
• Xavier Desjardins, University Professor, Sorbonne University, Rapporteur
• Martine Drozdz, CNRS Research Fellow, Maison Française d’Oxford / CNRS, Examiner
• Massimo Moraglio, Senior Researcher, Technische Universität Berlin, Co-supervisor
• Arnaud Passalacqua, University Professor, Université Paris-Est Créteil, Examiner
• Nathalie Roseau, University Professor, École nationale des ponts et chaussées, PhD supervisor

There is currently a significant resurgence of interest in academic and professional circles in incorporating residents’ practical expertise and taking their lifestyles into account within project processes. This focus, which first emerged in the 1980s, has gained fresh momentum since the mid-2000s in light of the energy challenges posed by the ecological transition.

An assessment of efforts to promote energy-efficient renovation shows that there are significant discrepancies between projected energy efficiency and actual post-renovation figures. Taking into account the specific needs of residents and their practical expertise in energy-efficient renovation projects therefore appears to be essential. Whilst the concept of “user expertise” had already emerged during the 1990s, in recent years we have seen the emergence of a field known as User Control Assistance (UCA), driven by professionals from a wide range of backgrounds (architects, designers, sociologists, etc.) who offer services in this area or respond to requests from urban developers, or more specifically within the housing sector.

This thesis project aims to contribute to a better understanding of the growing interest in AMU practices among a wide range of operators and professionals. It will examine how this type of service is viewed by its proponents, as well as the outcomes it produces.

Our approach is to position ourselves within the context of the energy transition. Indeed, environmental issues such as air pollution, global warming and the depletion of fossil fuels are at the heart of today’s major debates. The energy transition is therefore necessary in order to mitigate the effects of consumption, the real-world impacts of which are devastating on a global scale.

It is in this context that the building sector emerges as a major contributor to energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. This research therefore aims to model the energy consumption patterns of residential buildings following a renovation project. The study of residential buildings’ energy behaviour remains both poorly understood and underestimated in models. This difficulty stems from two obstacles: a lack of usable data on households’ actual consumption; and the complexity involved in conducting surveys on their domestic energy behaviour. The aim is to study, analyse and dynamically model the behaviour of residential buildings, taking into account the interactions between space, households and consumption. It will focus on the impact of the dynamics of household energy behaviour on the building’s final energy consumption.

A survey will be conducted before and after the renovation, involving 62 households living in Noisiel. It will collect socio-demographic data on the households, details of their characteristics and, above all, information on their behaviour. The data from these surveys, together with data from the sensors installed as part of the André project, will be analysed using various statistical models.

Public policy aimed at stimulating regional economic development is increasingly focused on promoting innovation and the knowledge economy, both of which are seen as essential for enhancing the competitiveness of both businesses and regions. This thesis examines a French policy introduced in 2004 within this framework of competitiveness: the competitiveness clusters policy.

This initiative, situated at the intersection of industrial and spatial planning policies, aims to foster innovative and collaborative practices among the business, higher education and research sectors within a given region through the establishment of ‘competitiveness clusters’. We focus on a hitherto little-studied aspect of these competitiveness clusters: their impact on regional governance. Indeed, based on a comparative analysis of six case studies from the south-west, we show that the clusters appear to function as intermediary structures, certainly promoting collaborative action between economic and scientific actors within the same region, but also and above all between political and administrative actors who were previously unaccustomed to working together. In this respect, the cluster policy is transforming the modes of regional public management.

The thesis therefore explores two aspects: firstly, the way in which the State conceives of competitiveness clusters as new spaces that revitalise interactions between economic and political-administrative actors (from different sectors and at different levels); and secondly, the way in which these clusters emerge and consolidate as fully-fledged entities with their own functioning and a role to play in territorial governance. The case of competitiveness clusters thus allows us to revisit the concept of territory, which no longer coincides with the definition of a constituency. Drawing on the work of Claude Raffestin, we consider clusters as discontinuous territories, organised in networks, each developing its own specific functioning ‘in the pursuit of the greatest possible autonomy given the system’s resources’.

Members of the jury

• Alain Bourdin, Professor Emeritus, Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée, Examiner
• Gilles Crague, Research Director, CIRED/École des Ponts ParisTech, Director
• Christophe Demazière, Professor, François Rabelais University, Tours; Rapporteur
• Marie-Pierre Lefeuvre, Professor, François Rabelais University, Tours; Examiner
• André Torre, Research Director, INRA; Rapporteur