Episode 27: How Civic Action Shapes Cities and What to Avoid When Building Megacities From Scratch | Dafe Oputu
- The importance of public participation and voting in shaping urban environments
- How colonial legacies continue to influence municipal governance structures today, presenting both opportunities and challenges.
- The strategies different cities are using to encourage public participation and civic action
- The implications of governance and public participation when attempting to build cities from scratch
- The concept of Special Economic Zones (SEZ) and their impact within the African context
Guest: Dafe Oputu
Timestamps
- Forthcoming
Show Notes
- Akon City
- Diamniado City
- Eko Atlantic
- Elite Africa Project
- Episode 21: How the Charter Cities Institute Promotes Inclusive and Adaptable Planning for Sustainable New Cities
- New Cairo
- The Blank Slate Fantasy: The Promise and Pitfalls of International Charter Cities
- Zombiescapes Africa's Megacity Addiction
Acknowledgements
- Music Producer: Imany Lambropoulos
- Podcast Host and Graphic Designer: Alexandra Lambropoulos
Stay in the loop!
If you would like to be interviewed, have an interesting idea to share for an episode, or have any feedback on the podcast, please email at hello[at]urbanlimitrophe.com or DM on social media!
If you enjoy the show, please share it with your family, friends, Architect, Athropologist, Acrobat ... leave a review, or you can buy me a coffee here!
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Episode 26: How the Just Cities Project is Using 3D Modeling to Co-Design Smart Cities in Kenya | Titus Kaloki
What makes a city truly smart? Or just? The answer lies with the people.
- The core principles of Smart Cities and how to make sure they remain inclusive and just
- The foundational elements of Just Cities and the opportunities and challenges of making them a reality
- How to use technology like U_CODE to enhance citizen participation and engagement in urban planning
- Insights and advice on applying these principles and technologies in other urban contexts
Guest: Titus Kaloki
Timestamps
- 00:00 — Can Informal Settlements Use Smart City Technology?
- 00:35 — What Comes to Mind When You Hear “Smart City”?
- 02:07 — Introducing Titus Kaloki & the Just Cities Project
- 04:10 — Public Participation & the Meaning of a Just City
- 05:25 — Smart Cities in Africa: Promise vs. Reality
- 06:58 — The Three Core Principles of Smart Cities
- 09:15 — The Four Principles of a Just City
- 14:07 — What Is UCODE? How 3D modeling and co-design are transforming urban planning in Nakuru City
- 17:45 — 85% Participation in an Informal Settlement
- 19:26 — Why UCODE Works Differently
- 24:08 — Setting Realistic Expectations in Community Engagement
- 27:00 — What Residents Actually Prioritized
- 29:15 — From Participation to Public Investment How Nakuru City adopted and funded community priorities.
- 31:27 — Main Challenges Behind the Project
- 35:25 — Capacity Building & Civic Agency: Teaching residents urban planning, participation, and advocacy.
- 36:29 — Breaking the Myth That Low-Income Communities Can’t Use Technology: Why the project exceeded participation rates seen in Europe and Asia.
- 38:05 — Titus’ 3 Lessons for Building Smart & Just Cities: Why process matters more than flashy technology.
- 40:58 — The Importance of Political Will: Why progressive local governments are essential to implementation.
- 43:29 — Learning + Politics: Why urban planning and politics are inseparable.
- 45:06 — How to Build Meaningful Public Participation
- 47:56 — How to Convince Governments to Try New Approaches
- 50:30 — How to Access UCODE
- 52:06 — What’s Next for the Just Cities Initiative?
- 54:07 — How to Get Involved
- 56:04 — Final Reflections on Smart & Just Cities
- 56:41 — Upcoming Episodes: Akon City & Botswana’s Innovation Ecosystem
Key Concepts
- Smart cities
- Just cities
- Public participation
- Community-led planning
- Urban informality
- 3D modeling
Show Notes
- Contextualizing the Smart City in Africa: Balancing Human-Centered and Techno-Centric Perspectives for Smart Urban Performance
- Eko City Atlantic
- Friedrich Ebert Foundation
- Kenya Vision 2030
- Nakuru Vision 2050
- Practical Guide to Transformative Change Making
- Smart City Kigali
- The Just City by Susan S. Fainstein | Hardcover | Cornell University Press
- U_CODE — WISSENSARCHITEKTUR
- Learn More about U_CODE: Localising Participation Tools | Democracy Technologies
Acknowledgements
- Music Producer: Imany Lambropoulos
- Podcast Host and Graphic Designer: Alexandra Lambropoulos
Stay in the loop!
If you would like to be interviewed, have an interesting idea to share for an episode, or have any feedback on the podcast, please email at hello[at]urbanlimitrophe.com or DM on social media!
If you enjoy the show, please share it with your family, friends, Zoologist, Zipline Instructor, Zero Waste Coordinator ... and leave a review, or you can buy me a coffee here!
Make sure to subscribe to the newsletter and follow the podcast on Instagram to stay in the loop for upcoming episodes and opportunities to engage with guests and the show.
Urban Limitrophe Featured on Elite Africa Project's Database!
I am excited to announce that the Urban Limitrophe podcast is now featured on the Elite Africa Project's database! This is a fantastic opportunity to reach a wider audience and share more African-related content, helping to challenge stereotypes and misinformation about the continent.
About the Elite Africa Project
The Elite Africa Project's mission is to challenge academic and public perceptions of African elites as grasping and self-interested—a framing that perpetuates negative depictions of the continent and its peoples and draws on a simplistic understanding of power and how it is wielded.
Check Out the Elite Africa Project's Resources
I encourage everyone to explore the Elite Africa Project's extensive database, which features a wealth of resources, podcasts, and articles focused on African-related content. This platform is a valuable tool for anyone looking to gain a deeper understanding of the complexities and diversity of the African continent.
Accessing this information is more important than ever, as it helps counteract the misinformation and stereotypes that often dominate discussions about Africa. By engaging with the content on the Elite Africa Project's database, you can contribute to a more informed and balanced narrative about Africa and its peoples.
Visit the Elite Africa Project
To learn more and access the database, visit: www.eliteafricaproject.org.
Thank you for your continued support of Urban Limitrophe. Together, we can promote a more accurate and positive understanding of Africa and its contributions to urban planning and innovation.
Episode 25: How Escrevivências Challenge Urban Planning Norms: Afro-Brazilian Communities’ Strategies for Reclaiming the Right to the City with Mayara Almeida de Paula
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What if the true architects of our cities are not the government officials or urban planners, but the communities who live in them? In this episode, we dive deep into a provocative question: When governments fail to provide essential services like water and electricity, and communities step up to fill the gaps, who define the future of urban development?
We journey to Brazil to unravel the story of the 2001 City Statute, a groundbreaking piece of legislation aimed at making cities more equitable. This innovative law, born from decades of activism and aimed at redistributing urban resources, has struggled with implementation challenges. My special guest, Mayara Almeida de Paula, a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto and an expert in urban planning, will share her insights on how race, gender, and urban policies impact the lives of Black women in Brazil and how these factors either support or restrict their right to the city.
Key insights from the episode include:
- Approaches to reparative planning in diverse contexts
- Technologies of resistance and healing used by Black communities, particularly Black women, in response to state neglect
- Incorporating escrevivências (counter-narratives) into urban research and practice
- Key insights from Mayara's award-winning bachelor's thesis and documentary
- The enshrinement of the "Right to the City" in Brazil's national legislation through the 2001 City Statute
- Recommendations of other theorists to enrich city-building research, practice, and policy-making
- And much more!
Guest: Mayara Almeida de Paula
Timestamps
- 06:10 | Can you please introduce yourself and share a bit about who you are and the work that you do?
- 11:11 | Could you give us a glimpse into what life is like in the city of Maceió and what inspired you to delve into this topic?
- 18:43 | Could you elaborate on some key findings from your research and documentary?
- 26:01 | Can you provide an overview of your master's thesis titled 'Counter-colonialist Writings in Western-World Spatialities of Black Women,' including the technologies of resistance and healing used by the women you researched?
- 30:59 | Your thesis centers around the practice of “Escrevivências” or ‘counter-narratives’ coined by Conceição Evaristo. What are “Escrevivências” and why is taking a more storytelling-based approach to research, particularly around city-building, urban planning and architecture, important?
- 34:03 | What advice would you offer to others whether they are researchers or not, interested in adopting similar approaches in their work?
- 35:43 | Can you share insights from your PhD research regarding the agency of Black communities in city-building? How do Black women and individuals in urban neighbourhoods contribute to shaping the urban landscape, and what strategies do they employ (i.e. psychological and healing techniques)?
- 44:12 | How do Black women/Black people, in general, resist unjust urban policies and practices, and how can those listening actively participate in creating the ideal city envisioned by the women in your documentary (or their own version of an ideal city)?
- 47:06 | What are some other key considerations or reparative tools that planners should take into account to ensure that the voices and needs of marginalized communities are central to city planning initiatives?
- 48:53 | What’s next for you?
- 50:17 | How can people get in contact with you or learn more about your work or get involved?
Show Notes
- Antônio Bispo dos Santos (Nêgo Bispo)
- Conceição Evaristo
- Escrevivências
- Environmental Racism
- Le droit à la ville by Henri Lefebvre
- Quilombola
- Right to the City by David Harvey
- Ruth Wilson Gilmore
- Theories I was referring to:
- Mayara’s Award-Winning Bachelor’s Thesis: Os melhores trabalhos de conclusão de curso em 2019 | ArchDaily Brasil
- Mayara's Master's Thesis: Universidade Federal da Bahia: Escrevivências contra-colonialistas: em espacialidades Ocidente-mundo de mulheres negras
- Mayara’s Documentary: Análise Interseccional da Vida Urbana: Cidade Ideal
- The City Statute of Brazil: A Commentary
- The Right to the City: Theory and Practice in Brazil by Abigail Friendly
- What Is The Right to the City?
Acknowledgements
- Editor + Music Producer: Imany Lambropoulos
- Podcast Host and Graphic Designer: Alexandra Lambropoulos
Stay in the loop!
If you would like to be interviewed, have an interesting idea to share for an episode, or have any feedback on the podcast, please email at hello[at]urbanlimitrophe.com or DM on social media!
If you enjoy the show, please share it with your family, friends, Veterinarian, Video Producer, Vice President ... and leave a review, or you can buy me a coffee here!
Make sure to subscribe to the newsletter and follow the podcast on Instagram to stay in the loop for upcoming episodes and opportunities to engage with guests and the show.
Introducing the Good News Report: Share Your Impactful Projects!
At Urban Limitrophe, we believe in the power of positive storytelling to reshape narratives and highlight the incredible work happening across Africa and the diaspora. Part of our mission is to counter stigmatization and disrupt harmful narratives by celebrating the ingenuity, creativity, and resilience within our communities. That’s why we’re thrilled to introduce our new segment: the Good News Report!
What is the Good News Report?
The Good News Report is your opportunity to showcase the amazing projects and initiatives that are making a real difference in community-building and development across Africa and the diaspora. Whether you're tackling climate change, enhancing food security, pioneering innovative urban designs, or driving social change, we want to amplify your efforts and celebrate your successes.
How to Get Involved
We want to hear about the incredible work you're doing! Here’s how you can share your projects:
1. Tag Us on Social Media: Share your projects and pictures with us by tagging #UrbanLimitrophe on social media. Let the world see the impact you're making, and connect with others who are passionate about community development and urbanism.
2. Email Us Directly: Prefer to share your story via email? No problem! Simply send your projects and pictures to us at hello@urbanlimitrophe.com. We’re eager to learn about your work and explore ways to feature it.
Why Share?
By submitting your projects to the Good News Report, you have the chance to:
- Be Featured in Our Content: Your project could be highlighted in an upcoming podcast episode, Instagram takeover, or newsletter. This is a fantastic way to reach a broader audience and inspire others with your work.
- Celebrate Your Achievements: We believe in recognizing and celebrating the hard work and dedication that goes into community-building. The Good News Report is our way of shining a spotlight on the positive changes you’re creating.
- Inspire Others: Sharing your story can motivate and inspire others to take action in their own communities. Your work could be the catalyst for even greater impact across Africa and the diaspora.
Stay Updated: Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Want to stay informed about the latest Good News Reports, upcoming events, and opportunities across Africa and the diaspora? Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter! As a subscriber, you'll receive:
- Exclusive Updates: Be the first to know about new episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and featured projects in the Good News Report.
- Opportunities to Contribute: Learn how you can share your work, ideas, and insights with our growing community.
- Curated Resources: Access valuable content related to urbanism, community development, and innovation across Africa and the diaspora.
Don't miss out—subscribe today and be part of a community that’s dedicated to celebrating and amplifying the positive stories within our global community.
