<p>This article investigates the transformation of the Aurès region in Algeria, where a strong tribal identity historically structured land use and settlement patterns. Colonial and post-colonial land policies, implemented through judicial and administrative mechanisms, redefined spatial organization by dismantling collective land governance and centralizing state control. Drawing on historical maps, cadastral documents, and archival records, the study examines how these interventions altered settlement forms, territorial cohesion, and community autonomy. Despite political transitions, continuities in top-down land management reinforced the marginalization of local actors and constrained adaptive capacity. Beyond its regional scope, the analysis underscores how planning practices disconnected from cultural and social contexts can fragment landscapes, weaken resilience, and reconfigure identity. The Aurès case thus contributes to broader debates in urban design on the long-term consequences of imposed territorial restructuring and the challenges of integrating customary governance into contemporary planning frameworks.</p>