[Geo4All] Asymmetrical Urban Infrastructure and Forms in Africa

[Dan Bwanika]

Forum

(post widely)

Some years ago, I started an urban and infrastructure conference
www.uidc-ea.org for East Africa. The idea was to promote organised
human settlement particularly for Uganda that faced a double tragedy
as a consequence of years of political turbulence.

a)	Uganda as a Nation State collapsed, followed by the colonial;
organisation, administrative and management continuity.
b)	The entire professional human resources scattered all over the
world as they fred the country.

The double tragedy meant that contemporary infrastructure and urban
development totally collapsed.

Interestingly, as the state collapses, the people left behind
struggled on to survive the best way they could. Devoid of
professional and expert knowledge, organizational, technological ,
administrative and management structure.

The breakthrough comes in the 90's with the advent of contemporary technology.

This is exactly what is more interesting and our focus now should turn
to. Where, when and how the unplanned human space in semi collapsed
states devoid of the colonial ensembles of: Technology, Organisation,
Administrative and Management structures find continuity.

The USA major companies and Western European states have developed
technologies purposed for completely different intentions and
societies. From nanotechnologies, High Speed Internet, Radio-frequency
identification, Smart Phones, Artificial Intelligence and Automated
vessels.

Whereas countries like Uganda are now stampeding into that scared Tech
Territories, the unplanned urban infrastructure networks and systems
embedded into an unconditioned society, are taking on these
technologies to solve major urban and infrastructure bottlenecks and
hurdles.  (Off grid Bio disc Sewerage systems, Mobile Banking, Solar
panels, Uberisation of Urban Transport, Water from Air, Remote
Controlled (GPS/GIS) based Traffic jams solutions, security,
communication, education, health care, agriculture monitoring and
production.

How USA and Western European technologies becomes the salvation of
unplanned Africa’s urban and infrastructure growth is not only
amazing, but breathtaking that through numerous conference I have
organised, the imagined impossible urban form and infrastructure is
increasing becoming possible!

Take an example of a European City without; Electricity, Sewerage
System, a Communication, Telephone and Internet Network, a Complex
Drainage Network, Transport Network and all what is "a by the way"
infrastructure.

The above traditional network doesn’t exist in many African countries.

That is no longer the problem though!

The above technologies are creating an able-ling environment that is
asymmetrical, generating new "decolonized" urban forms, management,
organizational and management structures driven by human
circumstances.

It is a hybrid systems and networks that I am calling on interested
parties that we  join hands and  look deeper into what , how and when
exactly contemporary technologies generate Novel Urban Infrastructure
and forms in Africa.


Daniel Bwanika

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_____________________________
Bwanika Nakyesawa Luweero

Daniel Bwanika
Box 12413 Kampala
Uganda

t: +256-752-972-960
l: https://ug.linkedin.com/in/dan-bwanika-416b1b37
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ulh: www.uidc-ea.org
e: uidcug at gmail.com
t: @uidc_ug