These are the banners we exhibited at James town during the Chalewote street art festival. It sparked a very interesting conversation which we will bring to you shortly in the form of a video montage. While we wait for that, let the conversation continue. Tell us what your views are about these images. Please note that these are not urban design or architecture schemes, just artistic impressions of what the future could be so please don't criticize us for design. We just need to know your thoughts about the future of James town using theses as pictorial references.
The Old Kingsway building (top) and the Otublohun square (bottom)
I would like to see less cars and more bicycles...even in 2050!
ReplyDeleteWouldn't that be great? i totally agree with you. We could make that happen even by 2020 if we wanted. I'm sure you would agree with me in my post about the new interchange at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle as well. Here is the link http://ghurbanist.blogspot.com/2013/09/why-new-3-tier-interchange-at-kwame.html
DeleteVery nice but I think James Town is rich in architectural history and character and should be left as it is. I was at the chalewate festival and I saw this there and if I'm not mistaken I wasn't the only person saying James Town should be left untouched.
ReplyDeleteI can totally identify with your sentiments, a very romantic attachment to the town. However, there are some inevitabilities about the future that we cannot ignore. By the year 2050, it is estimated that 70% of the world's populations would be living in urban areas. This will call for accommodating more and more people and businesses and land values will demand that we build ever higher and higher. The middle class would have grown dramatically, and with it comes bigger and and bigger aspirations. These are some of the forces that will be acting on our cities including areas like James town. The images we exhibited presents what we perceive as the effects of such forces on James town. These images do not intend to paint an exact picture, but rather give an idea as to where we are headed b default. Now, with these as visual references, the dialogue has started as to whether we should be going in this direction or not. The one thing that is constant is change, and we should be planning on how we want that change to occur and in which direction it should be going.
DeleteWell you are right about the increase in population and the need to supply infrastructure to meet that demand but I personally think that leaving James Town untouched will go a long way to help the country. I think Accra needs to be be categorized to show the type of change we want where. Places like James Town can therefore be developed in a way that does not affect the original fabric of the place.
Deletei totally agree man!
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