Jenny at Open City Lagos events: book launch + workshop

On March 4th, Dr Jenny F Mbaye participated in the book launch of “Open City Lagos” (www.opencitylagos.com), edited by Monica Umunna and Ore Disu. The launch was jointly organised by the Heinrich Böll Stiftung (ng.boell.org) and Nsibidi Institute (www.nsibidiinstitute.org) and hosted by the Goethe Institute at City Hall, Lagos (Nigeria). Jenny took part in the “Conceiving the Open City Panel: From principles to local translations: Real Stories of Openness in 21st Century Cities” and contributed to the book with a chapter entitled “Rogue Flânerie: Cultural Takhawalu in Urban Extremes: Cape Town & Dakar”. 

The publication, a cooperation with Nsibidi Institute Lagos and Fabulous Urban Zurich, intends to initiate a public reflection and discourse on the characteristics of an “open city” where the co-existence of different social groups and the richness of cultural diversity come together to foster growth that is diverse, equitable, creative, sustainable and inclusive. More information can be found: http://ng.boell.org/2016/01/27/open-city-lagos

As part of the launch event, Jenny was invited to co-host a workshop with architect Tosin Oshinowo (cmD+A) on March 5th, and which focused on “Common Grounds: The role of design in situating openness”. The workshop welcomed about 20 participants (urban practitioners, architects, researchers, students, photographers, sociologists, and journalists), who actively reflected on the ways urban actors can develop their skills of reading the city in order to redefine and adapt conceptions of public space so that they are contextually relevant.