SuperCity’s poster on “Negotiating Space” was presented at the 5th Gent Africa Symposium, held at Gent University!

For more information on the Africa Symposiums go to:  http://www.vai.be/nl/activiteit/symposium-rurban-africa-multidisciplinary-approaches-to-the-african-city

For more information on the conference go to:

http://www.african-perspectives.com/Ap/ang/index_ang.php

1. Garbage acumulation, brought by rain water from upper parts of the city and dumped by Old Fadama’s population; 2. Landfill of wood chips provenient from timber market; 3. Organic materials, ground and garbage sedimentation; 4. Original Korle lagoon’s silt soil; 5. Electronic waste, garbage and ground sedimentation; 6. Electronic waste burning area for metals extraction (by scrap dealers);

Can the process of sanitation and waste treatment  become a starting point for Old Fadama’s urban regeneration?

For further information: http://wn.com/Electronic_Waste_in_Ghana

Joining the Negotiating Space output: analysis, mappings, prototypes with the input given by guest collaborators from several viewpoints wants to originate an exhibition first in Accra, and later on in Brussels, together with a book launch.

Negotiating space is a project that explores the use and the perception of space within African cities, where the urban growth happens in a rate that governmental programs or urban planning traditional schemes cannot grasp. City’s built infrastructure is not capable to respond or foresee the social, cultural, economical and geographical dynamics that attribute to a space a specific activity or function.

In this framework, Negotiating Space is a reading of the use of space and an interpretation of what is (and can become) the role of the discipline of urbanism and the role of spatial devices in such contexts. It is an examination of new ways of reading the contemporary city, including the inhabitants as active actors in the definition and identity of places.  We give a new insight on how urban planning, more than to organise and to order the urban space, is to allow spaces for city life to happen.

It is about the constant negotiations on the use of space and the thin, or very often invisible, dynamic line between what is public and private; The negotiation between who owns and who uses the space. People use it in a way that is mostly defined by the convergence of social and economical dynamics. Though it is organized and it follows some logics, it seems that the role of material infrastructure is subordinated to social hierarchy and communication.

This leads us to think about the so-called negotiation between the formal and informal use of the city and how these two realities are interwoven and feeding each other.

Who: George, Was born in 20.11.72; He is from a northern village, Fatante;

Work: Pharmacy owner; Works in Old Fadama since 94, (first to unload yam cargo); His wife helps him in the shop; The shop is opened from 6am to 12pm. People buy more at night or after church on Sunday. He bought the land land of the shop. He could not afford to open a shop in Accra (rent would cost him around 400CD/month).

Living: He lives in Dansuman with his family now (wife, 2 twins of 7 years old, a 5 months girl) His children’s school is near the Ministry of Health, in Korebu;

Hanging out: George rests at home from 12am to 4am and takes a nap in the shop; He doesn’t have free time; He does not take holidays and mostly hangs out in the pharmacy; On Sunday’s morning he goes to church;

His way: He first came here to be able to go to secondary school. To first get the capital to study, he started by selling yams and doing other businesses (cargo); He brought his older sister to help him to finance his studies with the Yam sale. They first rented a room for 13 cedis a month; When George got the money, he started the pharmacy here in Old Fadama because the land is cheaper; He bought from somebody else; Now he was able to bring more brothers to Accra and helps the whole family.

Who: Vida, from the Northern Region;

Work: She has a grocery shop.

Living: They live in Old Fadama for 11 years. She lives with here 3 children and husband in the kiosk of the grocery shop. 2 of her children were born in Old Fadama. The children go to (primary) school in Old Fadama.

Hanging out: The boys go out to play at the park. Her daughter helps in the shop.

Her way: She would like to stay and live here. She wants some improvements: gutters in the street.

Who: Mohammed Salis; 30 years old; Comes from Tamale;

Work: He is a carpenter; He used to work with a company that stopped. Since then he has a carpentry shop in his house;

Living: He is in Old Fadama for 9 years now. He came to Accra for business and settled here because his sister was living in the neighborhood. He lives here with his wife and 3 kids, who go to school in Jamestown;

Hanging out: Hangs out around the bathhouse area with his friends;

His way: He would move to another neighborhood, as this one is not comfortable; Still, he thinks the fact that Old Fadama is affordable is good and he likes the fact that there are many muslims in; “People say that there are bad people here, but one can see plenty of mosques and churches, as people are God fearful.

Who: Cletus Nsobila, 30 years old; Comes from the Upper Eastern Region;

Work: He came to Old Fadama 5 years ago to find a job; Now he cooks and sells kebab in his own shop in Adabraka;

Living: He lives with his (pregnant) wife, Gifty, and his 5 year old daughter;

Hanging out: Hangs out around the Kwale Nole area, near his home;

His way: He wants to stay in Accra because of his business, but its not easy to find a room somewhere else in the city. If he could, he would like Old Fadama to be neat. They should cover the garbage…

Playing soccer in front of an industrial area close by Old Fadama.

The weekend at Labadi beach.

Playing games in front of their homes in Old Fadama.

Playing table soccer in a trotro station.

Women chating and selling in Old Fadama.

Watching television in Old Fadama.