The Industrial Wastelands of Tabacoop: Transformation and Informal Reappropriation of a Colonial Industrial Heritage in Annaba

Abstract

Industrial wastelands resulting from the decline of industries from the colonial period are now an industrial heritage and a major challenge for urban renewal in Algerian cities. These wastelands are characterized by long transitional phases during which they were either abandoned or converted for light activities that are incompatible with the heritage  value of the site, or even transformed for informal reappropriation. However, their transformation process remains under-researched in the Algerian context. Based on the case of the former industrial site of the Tabacoop in Annaba, this article analyses the factors that led to the site’s transformation into a brownfield site and examines the role of informal reappropriations in its transformation. The study is based on a diachronic approach combining documentary and historical analysis, in situ observations, and field surveys, as well as interviews with relevant stakeholders to examine the site’s transformations and the uses that have emerged there. The results showed that the informal reappropriations of the Tabacoop are not only a consequence of its abandonment, but also participate in the progressive redefinition of the functions of the site and reveal its ability to adapt to new uses. They thus emerge as indicators of the mutability of these industrial wastelands and highlight their potential for future conversion. By examining colonial industrial heritage through the processes of transformation and informal reappropriation, this research contributes to advancing knowledge on the transformation and future trajectories of industrial wastelands in the Algerian context and, more broadly, in postcolonial contexts.