Research Seminar: GRASSROOTS URBANISM – Africa’s Claim to the Architecture of Belonging
Africa is in the midst of a birth labor for thousands of new cities. This seminar explores Grassroots Urbanism as an alternative to the conventional models of city making that are top-down and capital-intensive. Instead, it champions community-based and locally sourced urban aggregates as approaches better positioned to trigger sustainable socio-spatial productions. Furthermore, in a continent ravaged by historical dispossession and extractive development, it asserts that a flourishing urban future lies in communities that grow roots in a place thereby cultivating a genuine sense of belonging.
Recognizing the centrality of Architecture in the shaping of places of belonging, the seminar investigates FORCES that directs architecture and urban FORMations. Through discussions, reflections on case studies, and collaborative exercises, the seminar aims to uncover latent potentials in architecture that empowers grassroots in the projection of a sustainable urban future for Africa.
First Meeting: 27.10.2025
Regular Meeting: Mondays, 14.00 – 15.30
Submission/Exam: 09.02.2026
Focus of study: Urban Design
