Town Planning, Segregation and Indirect Rule in Colonial Nigeria

Home, Robert

doi:10.3828/twpr.5.2.4th4321p7722g972

Cited by 57 publications

(23 citation statements)

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“…12 Although there were no white settlers and consequently, no machinery of government based on apartheid or racial principles, the British system of 'Indirect Rule' for administering colonies, whether in Africa or Asia, led to the fragmentation of the structure of the colonial city. 13 Partly for reasons of public health and partly due to a desire to maintain social distance, the colonial administration developed new areas separate from the 'native cities' to accommodate the European population. Furthermore, migrants who were attracted either from other parts of the country or, as in East Africa, from other colonial territories by the colonial economy were accommodated in separate areas within the townships, for example, Sabo Gari in Northern Nigerian cities.…”

Section: Conceptual and Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, in spite of efforts to restructure planning, independent governments in Nigeria are yet to substantially improve on the inherited legacy of under-developed physical planning. 42 The first Master Plan prepared for Benin City was in 1970. 43 The plan, which was completely unrelated to the local context, was not officially accepted.…”

Section: Existing Policies and Their Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Urban change and conflict in the traditional character of an African city: the example of Benin City, Nigeria

Ozo

2009

Planning Perspectives

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Using a number of physical elements/built forms that were distinctive of Benin City during the pre-colonial period as a benchmark, the study establishes the traditional character of the city. It then examines changes in the economy and society as well as technology and their impacts on the character of the city through the colonial and post-colonial periods. The study shows that in spite of the significant impact of colonialism on the transformation of the urban structure, urban change had minimal impact on the character of the city during the colonial period. It shows, further, that massive changes which have taken place in the society, economy, and technology particularly since independence have, in the context of inadequate planning, resulted in considerable changes in the character of and, consequently, erosion of cultural values in the city. A number of measures including land use planning, urban design, legislative and financial provisions as well as cultural education are suggested for addressing the situation. IntroductionCities, at any point in time, are composite landscapes made up of layers inherited from different phases of their development. In some cases the earliest of such layers are of ancient origin, rooted in old civilizations, the imprints of which are still discernable within contemporary urban fabric. 1 The preservation of these imprints in the urban fabric has not only become a focus of policy but also a hallmark of civilization in many modern societies. However, cities also show a history of constant change. They experience growth in population, economic activities, technology as well as changes in political organizations and culture, all of which impinge on the spatio-physical structure as well as the physical elements of the past in the city. As a result, the process of change can and has, in many cases, resulted in conflict with the preservation of the physical legacies of the past in cities. Indeed, the built environment has been viewed as the result of conflicts in the past and present. 2 The conflict between preservation and change is likely to be an issue in African traditional cities, particularly in parts of the continent where there has been a long history of urbanism and a rich cultural background, on the one hand, and unprecedented growths and changes in population, society and economy as well as technology and culture on the other. 3 What have been the impacts of these changes on built forms and what continuities have survived the traditional character of the city? What problems, if any, have been posed? How have such problems been managed and to what effect? In spite of the potential damage that change can inflict on the character of these African traditional cities, not much attention has been paid to the issue of change and its impact on the urban character in the research and literature on the evolution of

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Section: Conceptual and Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Existing Policies and Their Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Urban change and conflict in the traditional character of an African city: the example of Benin City, Nigeria

Ozo

2009

Planning Perspectives

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“…The former were established with generous municipal powers existent in Europe to cater for European communities as in other African cities. On the other hand, local government in the African communities was based not on popular rule but on selected chiefs with much more circumscribed local government powers (Home 1983). As in other African countries, these two traditions of local government have persisted beyond the colonial period.…”

Section: Local Governmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local Institutes and Development: The African Experience

Olowu¹

1989

Canadian Journal of African Studies / Revue canadienne des étud

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Dans le contexte de l'inter~t renouvele manifeste par les agences de developpement, les donateurs et les gouvernements africains pour les contributions potentielles des organisations locales au soutien du developpement en Afrique, cet article se fonde sur la litterature et les organisations locales africaines et non-africaines pour evaluer les problemes rencontres au cours du processus d'organisation et de soutien de quatre types d'organisations locales en Afrique: les unites decentralisees, les collectivites locales, les associations de benevoles pour le developpement de la communaute, et les cooperatives. I: article met en contraste les efforts faits par les gouvernements africains d'apres l'independance pour creer de nouvelles structures decentralisees ces vingt dernieres annees et ceux d' autres organisations populaires locales. Alors que dans la plupart des cas, les premiers se sont termines en echecs, les seconds ont ete couronnes de remarquables succes. Get article presente en conclusion une analyse des problemes d'organisation.

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“…In addition to the aggravation of these urban problems, there emerged the need to establish separate neighbourhoods and towns for additional colonial settlers [11]. In other colonies, which experienced racial and ethnic con ict, like Nigeria, India, Malaysia, South Africa and Palestine, the authorities tried to settle and control this con ict through statutory planning for land use, by adapting the British model of planning legislation and plans [12].…”

Section: The 'Export' Of Planningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Israeli use of the British Mandate planning legacy as a tool for the control of Palestinians in the West Bank

Khamaisi¹

1997

Planning Perspectives

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This paper aims to describe the evolution of statutory planning in Palestine and its later use during the Israel occupation in the West Bank to control Palestinian development. This statutory planning legacy began under British Mandate and Jordanian rule. The British Mandate , which extended British Town Planning Acts to Palestine, created the machinery that drew up district and local plans in Palestine based on these laws. The plans introduced land zoning, which restricted development in rural Palestine. While retaining the plans, the Jordanian regime that followed the British Mandate made some changes by legislating new planning laws which replaced and amended the British planning acts, de ning the planning authority and the planning system. The Israeli occupation continued the control over the development of the Palestinian West Bank, by amending the planning system through authorizing the issue of military orders designed to serve Israeli interests. Regarding the legacy of the Mandatory plans, the Israelis continued to use them as an effective tool for controlling land use by Palestinians. These district plans, although prepared half a century ago under different circumstances, have probably achieved the same goal of controlling the development of a native people, while giving the central regime (colonial or occupation) an effective instrument and mechanism for implementing policies and achieving aims likely to contradict the interests of the native people.

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Town Planning, Segregation and Indirect Rule in Colonial Nigeria

Cited by 57 publications

References 1 publication

Urban change and conflict in the traditional character of an African city: the example of Benin City, Nigeria

Urban change and conflict in the traditional character of an African city: the example of Benin City, Nigeria

Local Institutes and Development: The African Experience

Israeli use of the British Mandate planning legacy as a tool for the control of Palestinians in the West Bank

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