73| Urban planning: a “tool” of the State - FAU

|73| Urban planning: a “tool” of the State
Chenal J. (Development Planning Unit (dpu)
Univers)[email protected]
Dr Jérôme Chenal, b. 1973, is an architect and an urban planning designer. He currently
works as a Post-doc researcher with the dpu (Development Unit Planning) at University
College London. In the same time, he’s associated researcher with the Laboratory of Urban
Sociology (Lasur) in The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology - Lausanne. His current works
concern the link between spatial transformation and social mutations, between architecture
and life styles, between urban planning and social street practical. He works in Switzerland,
but in metropolis of Africa and in India too, where he develops news methodological
instruments for urban research and specially with photography
Education and Academic Background
2010- 2012. Advanced Researcher Grant (2 years) from the Swiss National Science
Foundation (division 1) for the research project « The making of the city on a daily basis.
Urban planning and habitat in Dakar and Bangalore »
2003-2008. PhD Student at the Laboratory of Urban Sociology of the Ecole Polytechnique
Federale of Lausanne.
2002 – 2004. MAS in Urban Studies : « Écologie urbaine, développement durable et gestion
des ressources », University of Lausanne, Switzerland
1992 – 1999 Master in Architecture at the École polytechnique Federale of Lausanne
Fields of research
Urban planning, Urban studies, Urban design, Urban Research Methods, Development
Studies
Present Academic Position
Postdoctorate researcher at Development Planning Unit (dpu), University College London
Associated researcher at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne
Main researches (ongoing)
2012-2016 « Urban Knowledge Network Asia » (Housing and Neighborhood Improvement,
Urban Environment and its Impact on Living Conditions, Urban Planning: Housing and the
Environment, Urban Heritage in Asia, Heritage Conservation and the Environment).
Partenaires : 14 institutions in Europe (Leiden University, UCL, TU Delft) Asia (India and
China) and USA (School of Policy, Planning and Development (SPPD), University of Southern
California, Los Angeles). Fonds : European Union Marie Curie Actions 'International Research
Staff Exchange Scheme. Chercheur
2010-2012. The making of the city on a daily basis. Urban planning and habitat in Dakar and
Bangalore (FNRS, division 1)
Publications (abstract)
Chenal Jérôme, Pedrazzini Yves, Bonfoh Bassirou, Kaufmann Vincent (prévu 2012). Learning
from African City. New York, Lausanne, Routledge, EPFL Press.
Chenal Jérôme (2012). La ville ouest-africaine. Modèles de planification de l’espace urbain.
Genève, Métispresses.
Chenal Jérôme (2011). Planification auto-organisatrice sur les personnes. Colloque N-Aerus
XII : The city at a human scale. Madrid, 20-22 octobre.
Chenal Jérôme (2011). Un relevé photographique ou comment l’image aide à comprendre la
rue. Second International Conference of Young Urban Researchers : Space as relation: cities
and their multiple territories. Lisbonnes, 11-14 octobre.
Chenal, Jérôme. 2010. Planifier la ville versus planifier l'idée d'une ville, in N-AERUS XI. Urban
knowledge : it's production, use and dissemination in Cities of the South, edited by Victor
Brunfaut, Viviana d'Auria, Bruno De Meulder, Luisa Moretto, and Kelly Shannon. Brussels: La
Cambre.
Chenal Jérôme, Pedrazzini Yves, Cissé Guéladio, Kaufmann Vincent (eds) (2009). La rue
africaine. Observation et gestion de l’espace public à Abidjan, Dakar et Nouakchott.
Lausanne, Les éditions du Lasur.
Chenal Jérôme, Pedrazzini Yves, Kaufmann Vincent (2009) Esquisse d’une théorie « altermoderne » de la ville africaine. In EspacesTemps.net, vol. Textuel, 08.10.2009.
TEMA 5
Resumo
Capitals and major cities of West African countries serve as a showcase for these nations—at
least that has been the case starting from their independence up to the present—, with
more or less successful depending on the country and period.
Our report shows how West African countries have used urban planning and development
plans to turn these cities into showcases of modern society since their independence.
For while the decentralization of state services gives absolute power to cities in terms of how
they are managed and developed, the state government has in fact has maintained its power
over cities, particularly as regards development; it is at this level, with the support of
international lenders – such as the World Bank most notably – that the futures of cities are
decided and turned, as such, into tools of the State.
The examples are many, starting with Mauritania in 1960 which, to create a modern State
(i.e. sedentary and urban) implemented “forced” urbanization programs for nomad
populations. Senegal, with its recent major infrastructural projects, has positioned Dakar as
the host city par excellence for major international conferences. Felix Houphouët-Boigny, The
Ivory Coast’s first president, thought it possible to “modernize and civilize” Ivorian society
thanks to the city.
From state goals to the reality of urban management, the different levels of governance
overlap and development goals are above all symbolic, from whence results the disconnect
from the daily needs of inhabitants of these cities, who face increasing segregation in terms
of mobility, identity and social issues.
To begin, in terms of mobility, prestigious infrastructures strengthen the mobility of the elite,
favor urban sprawl and ghettoize the poorest. Freeways and other highways have created
these phenomena, which are particularly evident in Dakar, with its toll highway, and Bamako,
with its tram-on-tires construction project.
In terms of identity, forging a sense of belonging to the city nonetheless remains a hope for
the poor. Populations are having a harder and harder time identifying with these large-scale
projects that respond to logics they do not understand.
Finally, in terms of social issues or segregation indicators, poverty and fragmentation show
signs of reinforcing disparities and cities’ inability to respond to the daily needs of their
populations.
Through an overview of different development plans for several West African cities, our
report will highlight the different dimensions described above.