Thomas Kolnberger
The `Tyranny of the Line‘: City Planning in Colonial Phnom Penh, 1860s – 1940s
16th cent. 1866 1867 1914
1920 1926 1928 1968
The Phnom (hill) The waterfront The waterfrontier
Department of History, University of Luxembourg
Southeast Asian Studies, University of Passau (Germany)
O u t l i n e
Introduction
Theses
Line of Argument
The French in `Indochina´
The Production of Colonial Urban Space in Phnom Penh
Conclusion
The Second French Colonial Empire before World War II
French Indochina
1859 - 1954
T h e s e s
`planned´ versus `un-planned / spontaneous´ city development is a false dichotomy
urban space emerges as a continous social interaction.
Conflicts and cooperation leave a morphological imprint on the place
two features of production of urban space (in Phnom Penh):
(A) equifinality
(B) productive cycle of `informal´ and `formal´ city expansion
A
equifinality: similar results may be achieved despite different initial conditions (and in many different ways)
no `clash of (planning) civilizations´ in morphology, but equifinality of Khmer and French planning traditions in colonial Phnom Penh
Before the colonial French Masterplan
Phnom Penh 1876:
a linear
settlement in an
amphibious & aquatic environment
The Phnom (hill)
Tonle S ap R
iver
Tonle Bassac River
M ek o
n g
12
13
B
productive cycle of `formalization´ of urban space by alignment and allotment
social engineering by the `tyranny of the line´
Morphology of 3 lines of movement
Spatial types of city expansion of Phnom Penh
planned urban space un-planned urban space
spontaneous extension with high density on informal ground
planned extension with low density on formal ground
Real estate prices in
“Piastre de commerce“
Alignment of the two historical axis of Phnom Penh
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Formalization of urban space by alignment & allotment
Formalization `creates´
(the concept) of `informal settlement´
`Self-alignment´ as material base for the further city expansion
Cycle of the production of (urban) space in colonial Phnom Penh
Inhabitants per street (estimation 1903)
Conclusion
equifinality and the cycle of `formal´ and `informal´ were decisive factors for a `smooth´ production of colonial space in Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh became a `dual city´ with persistent structures until today
Thomas Kolnberger
Thank you!
16th cent. 1866 1867 1914
1920 1926 1928 1968
The Phnom (hill) The waterfront The waterfrontier
Department of History, University of Luxembourg
Southeast Asian Studies, University of Passau (Germany)
• Back up slides
The production of a new
surface: the ‘système Decauville’
streetgrid by polderisation
14
The `inner waterfrontier´: filling up swamps and lakes by `polderisation´
Before
World War I 1920s
1930s
Transcription of the French Legend
