Master dissertation by Adriaan De Geest

Kolwezi, a mining town in the Congolese region of Katanga, has historically

been shaped by the extractive industry. This thesis examines how the mining

sector has influenced Kolwezi’s urban development, with a particular focus

on colonial infrastructure, spatial planning, and patterns of urbanization. By

analyzing Kolwezi through three ecologies — La Ville Connectée, La Ville

Industrielle, and La Ville Habitée — the complex entanglement between

resource extraction and urban space is revealed. This alternative urban

approach allows Kolwezi to be understood not merely as a city, but as a

hybrid space of industrial production and urban life. The central question is

therefore: is Kolwezi truly a city, or rather an extensive mining site with

urban characteristics?

The thesis is based on archival material — such as letters, maps, and

documents — combined with secondary sources. It draws inspiration from

methodologies like those of Reyner Banham and Sander Aelvoet, who use

ecologies to interpret cities. The aim is not to reconstruct a complete history

of Kolwezi, but to assemble fragments that provide insight into the urban

transformation of this archetypal mining town. Kolwezi is presented as a city

entirely subordinated to mining, resulting in a utilitarian form of

urbanization that prioritized economic efficiency over social cohesion.