csi.lagos: lagos - mega city or crisis city - bukka debate (18 jun 2010)
DESCRIPTION
Lagos is branded as 'Mega City' but more often viewed as 'Crisis City'. This panel discussion speculates on the urban future of the city of Lagos in Nigeria. more info: bukka.org/activities.html The contribution of Urban Detectives to this event is presenting the external perspective through the results of the 'City Space Investigations - Lagos' workshop held in April 2010. more info: csi-lagos.urbandetectives.comTRANSCRIPT
‘Lagos: Mega City or Crisis City?’
Organised by In collaboration with Exchange with
CSI LagosCity Space Investigations
2010
URBAN DETECTIVES
Urban Detectives
Jaap Klaarenbeek, MScJasper Moelker, MSc
‘Redefining the urban & architectural discipline in the 21st century by organizing experimental international workshops’
CSI workframe
TransdisciplinarityParticipatory approachesICT enhanced learning
CSI LagosCity Space Investigations
2010
UNDERSTANDING LAGOS
Leading questions:
1) What can be learnt from Lagos? And, how can prevalent informal activities be integrated into urbanpolicy and planning?
2) Are prevalent media representations beneficial to understanding Lagos?
CSI LagosCity Space Investigations
2010
MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS
Koolhaas ‘Wide & Close’, BBC ‘Welcome to Lagos’, ZDF ‘Das Tagliche Wunder’, Kemp ‘In search for the pirates’
• City typified by rapid urban growth (Koolhaas, BBC), • High density (Koolhaas, BBC)• Hectic and unorganized street life (Koolhaas, BBC)• Capacity of the informal to quickly adapt (Koolhaas)• Higly congested traffic & polluted air (Koolhaas, BBC)• Social polarization and high contrasts• High rates of poverty. (BBC & Kemp)• Crime and corruption (Kemp)• Questioning how the individual copes with this situation? (BBC)• Environmental collapse (BBC & Kemp)
multimedia: fear and uncertaintyacademic articles: enthusiasm and fascination
Academic articles: Gandy, Koolhaas, Fadare, Agbola, Immerwahr, Abiodum, Oduwaye, Olukoju
CSI LagosCity Space Investigations
2010
DUALITIESthe city in gradients
Planned
Old
Urban
Colonial
Dynamic
Efficient
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Unplanned
New
Rural
Traditional
Static
Inefficient
Rapidly developing
High density
Powerful
In-Network
Global
Westernized
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Slowly developing
Low density
Powerless
Off-Network
Local
African
CSI LagosCity Space Investigations
2010
CRISIS?
A crisis is any unstable and dangerous social situation regarding economic,military, personal,political, or societal affairs, especially one involving an impending abrupt change. Crises are “specific, unexpected, and non-routine events or series of events that [create] high levels of uncertainty and threat or perceived threat to an organization’s high priority goals.”
Crisis has four defining characteristics:
1. unexpected (i.e., a surprise),2. creates uncertainty, and3. is seen as a threat to important goals.4. therefore the fourth defining quality is the need for change.
CSI LagosCity Space Investigations
2010
REFLECTIONSchallenges and opportunities CSI Lagos
City Space Investigations
2010
REFLECTIONSchallenges and opportunities CSI Lagos
City Space Investigations
2010
REFLECTIONSchallenges and opportunities CSI Lagos
City Space Investigations
2010
REFLECTIONSchallenges and opportunities CSI Lagos
City Space Investigations
2010
REFLECTIONSchallenges and opportunities CSI Lagos
City Space Investigations
2010
REFLECTIONSchallenges and opportunities CSI Lagos
City Space Investigations
2010
REFLECTIONSchallenges and opportunities CSI Lagos
City Space Investigations
2010
REFLECTIONSchallenges and opportunities CSI Lagos
City Space Investigations
2010
REFLECTIONSchallenges and opportunities
Lagos is not a city in crisis, but the rapid growth poses serious questions that need intelligent answers and responsive, responsible and flexible governing.
• Need for people with a capability to think and intervene on the high/metropolitan scale, with cultural specificities of the city in the background.
• Spatial thinking need another scale that bridges planning and architecture. With the capability to make places. Create a societal value.
CSI LagosCity Space Investigations
2010