Integrating Heritage Sites into Contemporary Urban Centres : The Case of the Lagos Megacity

Ref.: 109
Key theme: 01 Physical integrity of historic urban landscapes
Date of reception: 03/11/2008

AUTHORS (*Main author)

LAWANSON, Taibat .O. * (Nigeria) - University of Lagos
OLAJIDE, Oluwafemi (Nigeria) - Lagos State University

ABSTRACT

The forces of urban growth often destroy the very social, cultural and environmental fabric they were intended to improve. With the current size and foreseen increase of the world's population living in urban areas, supplemented by insufficient policies to recognize and facilitate sustainable use of heritage assets, pressures on historic cities and urban landscape will continue to rise, thereby making heritage conservation one of the most dynamic and daunting tasks of our time, especially in the urban areas
The issues negatively affecting the protection and conservation of World Heritage sites are numerous and often inter-related ranging from uncontrolled urban development, urban upgrading, need for accessibility and housing, to high-rise constructions and inner city functional changes. As such, specific legislation targeted, The Nigerian government has largely overlooked the protection and promotion of cultural and historical heritage sites. The federal Government's White paper of 2002 on the Presidential committee on Urban Development and Housing fails to address the issue.
Lagos is one of the greatest cities in Nigeria steaming from its background as an ancient city dating back to the 15th century. As Lagos is developing into a megacity replete with global city indices, its history, form and ancient characteristics are gradually and continually being expunged. This has led to the development of a Lagos metropolis that has all the properties of an urban center but has failed to realise the potentials which its historical background can contribute to its overall physical, socio-cultural and economic development.
Urban and Regional Planning is primarily concerned with city development, incorporating physical, socio-cultural and economic growth of places. It is expedient for planning to integrate historical factors into the general outlook of a city's image, identity and overall form. Planners and policy makers are responsible for devising means by which a city's historical aspects could be harnessed to achieve both political and economic development within the framework of city planning.
This paper identifies key sites of historical value and importance in the Lagos megacity and assesses their status vis-à-vis conservation of historic character and integration into the emerging megacity in line with global best practices, heritage preservation and sustainable urban development
The study discovered that heritage buildings within the Lagos Megacity area are diverse, ranging from timber framed cottages to Brazilian style buildings. However, oonly a fraction of the Heritage sites in Lagos Island have been discovered and identified to be such , given their place in the unique record of Lagos history.
The Lagos Megacity revitalization project has the potential to destroy these heritage buildings as they are fast losing their character through the increase in pressures for development. many of them are being replaced by skyscrapers and multilevel parking lots.. Also the adjoining facilities and basic infrastructure that compliment these heritage resources are deteriorating.
Legislation for the protection of these resources is weak as neither the federal nor state government lays particular emphasis on the preservation of these historic sites and buildings.
In order to maintain the status of Lagos as a Historical City, it is essential that an archaeological assessment be done to identify, examine and preserve the non-renewable vestiges of the past. It is also necessary to declare Island as a Historic Preservation district. a Historical Commission to overlook these activities should be established . the commission will be responsible for monitoring all changes in the district and for ensuring that modifications and modernization indices being introduced do not alter the Historic urban landscape significantly. the commission will also be charged with the maintenance of an inventory of Built Heritage resources as well as Incorporate measures to protect and preserve heritage and archaeological resources into all planning and development by creating appropriate standards for alteration, rehabilitation and rebuilding of historic resources.
Lagos can retain her status as both a historic and contemporary city, when her heritage sites are protected while the megacity development plan continues.

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