Lagos is branded as 'Mega City' but more often viewed as 'Crisis City'. This panel discussion speculates on the urban future of the city of Lagos in Nigeria. more info: bukka.org/activities.html The contribution of Urban Detectives to this event is presenting the external perspective through the results of the 'City Space Investigations - Lagos' workshop held in April 2010. more info: csi-lagos.urbandetectives.com

1. CSI Lagos
2010
City Space Investigations
‘Lagos: Mega City or Crisis City?’
Organised by In collaboration with Exchange with

2. CSI Lagos
2010
URBAN DETECTIVES
City Space Investigations
‘Redefining the urban & architectural discipline in the 21st century
by organizing experimental international workshops’
Urban Detectives CSI workframe
Jaap Klaarenbeek, MSc Transdisciplinarity
Jasper Moelker, MSc Participatory approaches
ICT enhanced learning

3. CSI Lagos
2010
UNDERSTANDING LAGOS
City Space Investigations
Leading questions:
1) What can be learnt from Lagos? And, how can prevalent informal activities be integrated into urban
policy and planning?
2) Are prevalent media representations beneficial to understanding Lagos?

4. CSI Lagos
2010
MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS
City Space Investigations
Koolhaas ‘Wide & Close’, BBC ‘Welcome to Lagos’, ZDF multimedia: fear and uncertainty
‘Das Tagliche Wunder’, Kemp ‘In search for the pirates’ academic articles: enthusiasm and fascination
• City typified by rapid urban growth (Koolhaas, BBC), Academic articles: Gandy, Koolhaas, Fadare, Agbola, Immerwahr, Abiodum,
• High density (Koolhaas, BBC) Oduwaye, Olukoju
• Hectic and unorganized street life (Koolhaas, BBC)
• Capacity of the informal to quickly adapt (Koolhaas)
• Higly congested traffic & polluted air (Koolhaas, BBC)
• Social polarization and high contrasts
• High rates of poverty. (BBC & Kemp)
• Crime and corruption (Kemp)
• Questioning how the individual copes with this situation? (BBC)
• Environmental collapse (BBC & Kemp)

5. CSI Lagos
2010
DUALITIES
the city in gradients
City Space Investigations
Planned << >> Unplanned Rapidly developing << >> Slowly developing
Old << >> New High density << >> Low density
Urban << >> Rural Powerful << >> Powerless
Colonial << >> Traditional In-Network << >> Off-Network
Dynamic << >> Static Global << >> Local
Efficient << >> Inefficient Westernized << >> African

6. CSI Lagos
2010
CRISIS?
City Space Investigations
A crisis is any unstable and dangerous social situation regarding economic,military, personal,political, or societal affairs,
especially one involving an impending abrupt change. Crises are “specific, unexpected, and non-routine events or series of
events that [create] high levels of uncertainty and threat or perceived threat to an organization’s high priority goals.”
Crisis has four defining characteristics:
1. unexpected (i.e., a surprise),
2. creates uncertainty, and
3. is seen as a threat to important goals.
4. therefore the fourth defining quality is the need for change.

7. CSI Lagos
2010
REFLECTIONS
challenges and opportunities
City Space Investigations

8. CSI Lagos
2010
REFLECTIONS
challenges and opportunities
City Space Investigations

9. CSI Lagos
2010
REFLECTIONS
challenges and opportunities
City Space Investigations

10. CSI Lagos
2010
REFLECTIONS
challenges and opportunities
City Space Investigations

11. CSI Lagos
2010
REFLECTIONS
challenges and opportunities
City Space Investigations

12. CSI Lagos
2010
REFLECTIONS
challenges and opportunities
City Space Investigations

13. CSI Lagos
2010
REFLECTIONS
challenges and opportunities
City Space Investigations

14. CSI Lagos
2010
REFLECTIONS
challenges and opportunities
City Space Investigations

15. CSI Lagos
2010
REFLECTIONS
challenges and opportunities
City Space Investigations
Lagos is not a city in crisis, but the rapid growth poses serious questions that need
intelligent answers and responsive, responsible and flexible governing.
• Need for people with a capability to think and intervene on the high/metropolitan scale, with cultural
specificities of the city in the background.
• Spatial thinking need another scale that bridges planning and architecture. With the capability to make
places. Create a societal value.