ThereshouldbeascientificplanforAfricancities’constructionanddevelopment.That’sthewaytheycanimprovetheirurbanizationqualityandadvanceonasustainableurbanizationdevelopmentpath.
WangJianzhu,Ph.DstudentatTsinghuaUniversity’sSchoolofArchitecture
AnarchitecturestudentfindspointersinChina’surbanizationforAfrica’smegacities
ByXiaYuanyuan
TherearemanystudentsintheprestigiousTsinghuaUniversity’sSchoolofArchitecturedoingresearchonurbanplanning,butwhatmakesWangJianzhuanoveltyistheunusualsubjectshehaschosen-Lagos.
The26-year-oldiswritingherthesisontheurbanizationofmegacitiesindevelopingcountriesandoptedtodoherfieldstudyinLagos,Nigeria’seconomiccapitalandthelargestcityinSub-SaharanAfrica.
Wang’sdecisiontookherresearchguideandfellowstudentscompletelybysurprise.“IamthefirststudentintheschooltostudyanAfricancity’splanning,”shesaidgleefully.“It’snotjustanadventurebutanearnestattempt[todiscoversomethingnew].”WangfoundfewChinesescholarsstudyingurbanplanningpaidheedtoAfricanurbanizationandthoughtshewouldtrytofillinthegap.
SoshewasofftoLagosinSeptember2015todoherresearch.Shelivedthereforfourmonths,accompaniedbyonlytwolargetravelcases.
Goingsolo
Herparentsandfriends,whileimpressedbyherdetermination,alsoworriedabouthowshewouldfareinNigeriaonherown.“Theyfrettedaboutmysafety,livingconditions,foodandsanitation,”Wangsaid.Butdespitetheirworries,sheadaptedwelltolifeinthenewcityandfoundshewasenjoyingherstay.
Thoughshehadtomovehousefourtimesduringherstay,fromauniversityguesthousetoafriend’shouse,tothefreetradezoneareaandtotwohotels.therelocationshelpedhertoknowmoreaboutlocallife,Wangsaid.
Moreover,shedidnotfeelalone.Today,hercellphonehasthenumbersofmorethan200friendsshemadeduringherLagosstay.“IlovemakingfriendsandmyfriendsinNigeriatookmetobuyclothesinthelocalbazaar,invitedmetoawedding,aChristmasparty,andevenafuneral.EverythingIsawandexperiencedwaspartofactuallife,whichisessentialforanyscholarwhowantstomakeagooddevelopmentplanforanycity.”
WhenWangwasinterningwithLagos’MinistryofPhysicalPlanningandUrbanDevelopment,thechairmanoftheorganizationgaveheraNigerianname,OmobowaleAnifowoshe.Itmeansachildwhohascomebackhome.Sheiskeentoliveuptoit,sayingshewouldreturntoAfricaafterobtainingherdegree.
Meaningfulresearch
ThereareotherreasonsforWangchoosinganAfricancity.Sheiscertainthecontinentwillbethemainfaceofglobalurbanizationinthefuture.ItisestimatedbytheUnitedNationsDepartmentofEconomicandSocialAffairs(UNDESA)thatanadditional2.5billionpeopleworldwidewillmovetocitiesby2050andnearly90percentofthismigrationwillbeinAsiaandAfrica.
AccordingtoUNDESAstatistics,Africaisexpectedtobethefastesturbanizingregionfrom2020to2050.“[Thephenomenon]isdefinitelyworthpayingattention,”Wangsaid.
There’sanotherimportantreason,fromtheChineseperspective.ThegrowingChina-Africarelationshiphasimmensepotential.AnincreasingnumberofChineseenterprisesaregoingouttostarttheirbusinessesinAfrica.Agoodunderstandingoflocalcitydevelopmentswillbebeneficialfortheirinvestment,especiallyinlandandrealestatedevelopment,infrastructureprojects,andplanninganddevelopingindustrialestatesandfreetradezones.
IncreasingChineseinvestmentandengagementintheconstructionofAfricancitieshasmultiplebenefits.Itishelpingprovidepeoplelivinginmegacitieswithbetterinfrastructuralfacilities,livingenvironments,socialservicesandmorejobopportunities.