Christos Filippidis

Dr Christos Filippidis

Independent Scholar Fellow 2022-23

Building (in) a New World: Constantinos Doxiadis, Urban Development and the Pacification of the “Third World”

This research will focus on various U.S. urban development initiatives in selective regions of the capitalist “periphery” during the Cold War. The Greek architect and urban planner Constantinos Doxiadis was from the very beginning at the centre of these initiatives. The aim of this project is to investigate Doxiadis’ role, examining his relations with the U.S. staffs, exploring the basic principles of his theory and evaluating his work not only in terms of applied architecture and urban planning but firstly in terms of its ideological-political context.

More information

Research outcomes

Filippidis, C. (2024)

Planning in War Zones: Konstantinos Doxiadis in Saigon. Futura Books.

Areas of interest

Architecture Urban Studies Urban Politics Political Geography Securitisation Militarisation Counterinsurgency Necropolitics Biopolitics Policing Food Security Pacification Law Enforcement International Development

Cohort

ISF8

Biography

Christos Filppidis is an Athens-based researcher, with a research background in urban studies and urban geopolitics. Over the past years he has critically investigated issues related to urban securitisation and militarisation. He is particularly interested in counterinsurgency theories and practices, highlighting topics that lie at the point where the police/war apparatus, bio/necropolitics and the urban phenomena intersect. His latest research, conducted as part of the eighth Independent Scholar Fellowship (ISF8), focused on the work of Greek architect, urban planner and international development consultant Constantinos Doxiadis and his protagonistic role in building the post-colonial world. More specifically, it investigated Doxiadis’ involvement in the U.S. pacification programme in South Vietnam, examining the Master Plan submitted by Doxiadis Associates for Saigon in 1965. The fruit of this research is a monograph entitled Planning in War Zones: Constantinos Doxiadis in Saigon, published in 2024 in Greek by futura. Christos is currently working as an adjunct lecturer at the Department of Architecture, University of Ioannina, Greece.

Biographical details correct as of 23.10.25