BK Talks presents “BK Africa: A laboratory of the future?”, an upcoming event that will be streamed live on June 15th from the European Cultural Centre in Venice, in the occasion of the exhibition “BK Africa, A laboratory of the future?”, organised by the Delft University of Technology’s Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment at Palazzo Mora. The installation features recent projects, research, and initiatives that address the rapid transformation of the African continent. This work has been developed by students, faculty, and partners in Africa of the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment.

Beyond the statistics about urbanization rates and challenges in Africa, there are important conversations to be had about the social, spatial, economic, and environmental changes taking place. Moderated by Javier Arpa Fernández, a panel of experts from within and beyond TU Delft’s Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment will explore the rapid transformation of the African built environment in the context of – amongst other pressing issues – the climate emergency and the risks it poses, such as desertification, flooding, and food insecurity.

Each African country’s response to urbanization varies, and it is essential to examine and discuss each context while also reviewing the region-wide dynamics in urbanization. The various forms of urbanization taking place in different African cities signal transitions in processes that manifest in changes at a macroeconomic level, as well as in everyday life shifts, choices, and struggles. The aspirations of states, residents, and private actors, and the push and pull among them, mark the dynamics of the changes happening with cities as platforms.

“BK Africa: A laboratory of the future?” does not intend to treat Africa as a uniform block. Instead, the continent is viewed as a collection of differentiated territories, cultures, histories, and societies. The event aims to explore how everyday lives are understood and reimagined in urbanisation processes within and around existing cities. It also seeks to consider what “new cities” in the region should be imagined and emerge out of, and how urban growth can be inclusive, resilient, and grounded in both processes and results.

Watch the livestream on YouTube at the following link or sign-up here to join the event in person.