599 Scenes
PH: DR: Luke GNACADJA former Minister for the Environment, Housing and Urban Planning
The international conference was organized on 2 and 3 October by the International Association of French Mayors (AIMF) and the Association for the Promotion of Teaching and Research in Planning and Urban Planning (APERAU), as part of the Urban Planning in Francophonie initiative. . At this high-level meeting, fruitful debates were held around the board of mayors of French capitals and cities, internationally recognized architects and urban planners, academics, but also Ministers who is in charge of urban planning. Present at this time, during his speech at the opening of the International Conference in Paris on the subject: “Reinventing cities: Urban planning in Francophonie, horizon 2050”, which was is the Minister for the Environment, Environment and Urban Planning, Luc Gnacadja called for an essential point.
“Africa does not need Cloned Cities. We will create our own sustainable cities.
“When it comes to city planning, we need to stop copying. Sustainability is a cultural project that needs to be anchored in the areas.”
Dear African architects and urban planners or stakeholders in Africa,
It is time to review our habits. We can no longer reduce Computer Aided Design (CAD) and today artificial intelligence (AI) to “Computer Aided or AI Copy and Paste”.
The richness of our cultures and the diversity of our lands demand a creative, bold approach rooted in our local reality. Durability cannot be copied. It is the result of reflection that arises from our roots, our history and our vision for the future. Tools like AI should be used to innovate, not replicate standard solutions. We will create our own answers to African urban challenges, anchored in our authenticity.
To universities and training centers in town planning and architecture,
Your role is critical. It is essential to train a new generation of experts who are able to contextualize and co-design urban solutions according to the needs of our areas. Our future depends on skills that are able to take local challenges and transform them into opportunities for African urban planning.
Dear mayors and policymakers on urban issues in Africa, I urge you to abandon the mirage of Dubai (or “Dubaiization”) as the horizon of urban sustainability for Africa.
This dream of reproducing artificial cities is not realistic or relevant for our land; it could become a nightmare within a few decades.
Africa deserves better: cities shaped by and for their residents, that respect equity, resilience and harmony with our environment. Let’s not stop looking for imported models; let’s achieve sustainability shaped by our shared resources, knowledge and vision.
Now is the time to innovate, not copy.
This reflection inspired many ideas among the participants, and wanted to increase it by launching an appeal to my fellow architects, African urban planners or stakeholders in Africa, as well as high -bars and political decision makers. Internet users also responded after his intervention.
https://leconomistebenin.com/conference-internationale-de-haut-niveau-sur-lurbanisme-en-francophonie-les-propositions-de-luc-gnacadja-pour-des-villes-propres-et-durables/
