8/12/2019 Urban Planning -Could We Leapfrog

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8/12/2019 Urban Planning -Could We Leapfrog

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In the light of all these, my view is that if Africa is to develop we should begin to

take planning of our cities serious, especially with the projections of

urbanisation we will see in the coming years. As it were, most of these challenges

will be captured if we are to plan our cities. Urban sprawl, ghettoization of

affluent and poor neighbourhoods, communal means of transport, health and

educational facilities etc. will all be thought through in a typical master plan,projections made and strategies put in place. Arentthese the same problems our

governments have been trying to solve? I am more than convinced that to tackle

the many ills of the African society, we should begin to start planning our cities,

and in earnest whiles making room for the approaching 0.9 billion!

Making a case for urban design of our cities brings to light, the issue of which

particular model in view of the numerous ones the field of urbanism has

witnessed through history.

As a continent, we were able to leapfrog to mobile technology .we have done so

in other technology fields in some ways because for instance there was a lack of

infrastructure as in the case of fixed-line telephony. But one of the main reasons

that gives us this urge is because we lurk behind mostly, that gives us a second-

comer advantage. We should begin to seriously make the best out of this.

Now, getting back to which model of urban design I believe we could once again,

leap frog to sustainable urban design. Most of the models we see and hear of

from Howards garden city, to Le Corbusiers radial city of the industrial heightsdown to post-fordist green urbanism have all been responses in some sort to

crisis that plagued the human society.

We in Africa need not relive the same experiences; we have the second-comer

advantage to leapfrog to sustainable urbanism. By this we will be looking at all

facets of sustainable development in our planning. That will mean economic,

social and environmental improvement and equity for our population.Sustainable urban planning will mean checking urban sprawl through compact

cities, being resource efficient, providing for communal means of transport,

addressing social and economic equity among others.

Current models of western sustainable urbanism are in most cases more or less

accessorization of buildings, i.e. attaching gadgets to buildings. Some are what I

describe as sustainable upgrading or infill as most of the infrastructure existsalready.

Our case with African cities is different. Infrastructure is inexistent or below

standard. We will have to really look at the whole big picture, pick through

elements that will have a domino effect of sustainability, an integrated systems

approach I guess.

So, my view is that in aiming at taking urban design seriously we could leap frog

to integrating sustainable development principles and in doing that I believe the

way to go is through an ecosystem approach of integration. Systems, which work

like a natural ecosystem, where all is systemised, loops are closed, no waste!

Above all, we should not forget to contextualise these concepts. The African

context should be in no way left out that will bring out our true identity.

N.H. Yakubu

Student & Urban Researcher.