Seminar: Next Urban Explosion: Hopes of Coexistence – Africa

Cities are spaces of complex co-existence. Be it among ourselves or with the multiplicities of elements of nature, the question of co-existence is increasingly challenged by our collective actions. In our experiment to find a hopeful and sustainable way of coexistence, the continent of Africa offers a vast space of enquiry. In just 25 years, close to a billion additional people are expected to claim the hope that urban living offers in Africa. Such a mass of need creates a vast opportunity to reimagine new forms of urbanism.
Recognizing the vastness and multidimensionality of Africa, the seminar will be a space of optimistic speculations on urban futures – a thought experiment based on discussions and projective exercises. By interrogating the practices of Architecture and Urban Design – through selected projects in Africa, the seminar also aims to sketch a Framework-of-Engagement that can help to ensure the relevance of architecture in the production of Hopeful-Urban-Futures.
First Meeting: 22.04.2025, Bld. 11.40 Room 26
Submission/Exam: 22.07.2025
Focus of study: Urban Design