The role of emergent and developing countries in the 21st century

Abstract

At the same time that we’re solving climate change, we are building cities for another 3 billion people until 2050. That’s a doubling of the urban environment. The most extensive of this construction, and especially housing projects for the coming decades, will take place in emergent and developing countries. We, as architects, engineers, developers, and government officials, have the opportunity and important responsibility to give shape to our future. But our decisions not only impact the environment but also our social well-being, economic vitality, our sense of community and connectedness. In Africa, the number of urban dwellings will triple from 400 million to 1.26 billion by 2050. If we zoom into sub-Saharan Africa, 80% of these buildings are not yet built, compared to 30% in Europe. Therefore, I see this project as an opportunity to use the knowledge and lessons we have learned over the past to give these countries a head start in developing their cities. Today’s choices will have an impact on the decades to come.
With the continuously rising temperatures due to climate change and already elevated outdoor temperatures, the current housing situation in Benin is battling elevated indoor temperatures. They strongly affect the thermal comfort and, generally speaking, the well-being of people. With the rapid growth of cities and the shortage of currently available housing stock, builders and developers focus on quantity rather than quality. Many housing projects that are being built do not consider the specific climate conditions. Too often, they follow the occidental low-income housing model (Plattenbau, HLM) and battle temperature variations with mechanical cooling systems (air conditioning) and standard universal amenities. The needed urban infrastructure to supply these new dwellings with the necessary services is expansive and takes time to build. The existing networks are overloaded, and water and electricity supply interruptions are commonplace, even in the cities. Proper waste disposal and garbage collection are mainly non-existent, and landfills are the final waste destination.

Therefore, a sustainable building approach in Benin and in general in countries with a hot and humid climate is not only a way to have a positive impact on the environment, but instead, it is a fundamental means that allows lower energy use and lower long-term costs of use while improving the thermal comfort and quality of life. People want a modern, hygienic and spatially sophisticated living environment and housing of the same standard while keeping a sense of cultural and social identity. Those social and cultural patterns must be considered a “compass” during the design process at all scales.