Brick by Brick: Building Modern Towns in the Senegal River Valley

Abstract

Today across Africa people are building homes and infrastructure that communicates their aspirations and achievements through particular, local interpretations of a contemporary modernity. People are building homes and public spaces that represent the permanence of their connection to place – the physical site of the home – while at the same time expressing their own visions of modernity, which highlight cosmopolitan connections and tastes. The rural towns of the Senegal River Valley are experiencing a building boom in response to a growing population, an influx of migrant remittances, and widely held desires for “modern” durable housing and public infrastructure. New homes in the Senegal River Valley frequently offer a mix of tradition and innovation: generally adhering to a traditional layout while making use of new materials and amenities. The construction of a new home with “modern” styling and amenities is also a mark of status and wealth. In addition, new health clinics and schools bring desired public services and new mosques increase the prestige of the community. This presentation focuses on the ways that the architecture of the rural towns of the Senegal River Valley has changed over the course of the past 30 years. I will discuss the aesthetics and spatial layout of new housing, commercial, and public buildings, emphasizing how local people interpret these changes, and the ways that these developments have both challenged and reinforced the social fabric of communities.