Lamufutures
Students from Critical Urbanisms in collaboration with the Lamu Youth Alliance | URBANISM ACROSS GEOGRAPHIES; SITE IMMERSION LAMU, KENYA, 2023
In Lamu, the ongoing implementation of the LAPSSET (Lamu Port, South Sudan, Ethiopia Transport) Corridor, one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Africa, raises important questions about social and environmental justice. These debates bring up both ancient and recent histories — about Lamu’s past as an important trade node of the Indian Ocean and about historical injustices before and after independence. The future development of Lamu hinges on how this inheritance is mobilized to negotiate local people’s stake in plans and projects from elsewhere. Eight Critical Urbanisms students traveled to Lamu for six weeks to work together with researchers from the Lamu Youth Alliance. Guided by Kenny Cupers, their collaborative research focused on the perspectives, experiences, and aspirations of those who are inhabiting and transforming Lamu today. It is in their everyday lives and memories that students anchored important questions about heritage, development, security, and future mobility. For more information, see the project website: lamufutures.net