Anam Rebirth Council Reviews Urban Design

Members of the Council review urban design

The New City project team presented updates to the Anam Rebirth Council on November 20^th, 2010 at the Umueze-Anam town Civic Center.  The presentation included updates on architectural and urban design development, as well as the implementation schedule for the next phase.  Final recommendations for Anam City’s development will be published in the Master Plan and posted online on the project website.  The Council members are excited about the recent progress and expressed their continued support, particularly in moving the project through all the necessary professional surveying and government approval processes to ensure implementation.

In addition, the Council reviewed the Anam Flood Media Package (video and print) prepared by the Chife Foundation.  The Flood Media Package will be used to create awareness of the yearly hardship caused by the flooding in Anam for international communities as well as government and public officials.  Following the review, Council Members voted to adopt language from the media package that defined the location of the Anam settlements within the context of a regional watershed, a forward-thinking approach that has important implications for regional planning and development with a focus on environmental stewardship.

Internship Develops Innovations in Sustainable African Urbanism

After two and a half months of intense research and design work, the internship program is drawing to an end.  The work has been foundational towards the development of the Master Plan document.   The following summarizes several of the overall outcomes of the design and principle goals for the Anam City.

ECONOMIC & SOCIAL GROWTH

A vibrant economy, building on regional strength in agriculture and an abundance of natural resources like clay & bamboo will accelerate growth and prosperity. Generously distributed community facilities to support good health and educational advancement, as well as public amenities such as parks and recreational spaces will improve the quality of life for residents.

ECOLOGICAL URBANISM

The physical design of the city and supporting activities will nurture sound environmental stewardship. Regionally appropriate architecture will respond better to the tropical conditions and promote responsible resource use. Protecting the existing ecosystem will also create a healthier and more enjoyable city environment.

SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE

The city’s infrastructure demands will be met by a distributed network of small-scale energy, water & waste systems. A balance of low cost and state-of-the-art technologies will tap into extensive renewable energy resources such as solar and biomass and will balance with ecologically sound water & waste infrastructure.  Smart information technologies will also optimize system performance by increasing efficient monitoring and minimizing resource waste.