Although constantly buffeted by the global forces of migration and climate change, and local housing and transport challenges, cities continue to expand and adapt. Much of this is driven by the tenacity of their inhabitants through a mix of versatility and innovation. Open City Lagos 2017 has been put together to explore this resilience in as many forms and shapes as it takes.

How do developing cities like Lagos decide when and how to be resilient? Where can resilience be found and what can be learned from the everyday practices of urban dwellers? In what ways are cities reluctant and ‘stiff’ to developments that mean well for the city?

Artists, photographers, journalists, writers, urbanists, and architects are invited to send in abstracts describing their creative work in response to any of these four streams:

Understanding Resilience: In what ways is the city resilient or not? What are the tensions between resilience and change? What can be learned by contrasting experiences of cities across the globe?

The Future of African cities: How do current trends in migration patterns, changing values of multiculturalism and economic protectionism affect the future of African cities? What role will homegrown strategies play in a world of increased global connectivity?

Social Innovation & Adaptive Design: What creative solutions are springing up in the face of urban hardships and problems? How can innovation, design, and technology be used to build urban resilience and achieve social impact and sustainable development?

Responsive Planning & Governance: How can we address rigidity within institutions that hold on to outdated processes, policies, and thinking? How can city planners learn better from collective actions to solve the problem at scale?

Selected pieces will be shortlisted for the Open City Lagos 2017 symposium and feature in its publication.

Submission Guidelines

Project entries can take numerous forms:

•Short videos & audio compilations
•Photoessays
•Articles & research papers
•Drawings, models & sculptures (size and weight limits apply – kindly check with project administrators)

To participate, send in a 300-word abstract describing your submission and how it responds to the questions and objectives of OCL Resilience.

Submissions for video and audio pieces must be accompanied by short clips or extracts from the work of no more than 3 minutes. Abstracts for photo essays should be submitted with 4-6 sample images. Submissions should also include the following details

1.The name, contact details and professional background of the person(s) responsible for the project
2.The project stream the work responds to
3.The places and parts of Lagos, or other developing cities, featured in the work

Application Deadline: 21 April 2017

Shortlisted submissions will be announced 5 May 2017.

Open city Lagos is a conversation enacted across Lagos and with other cities, with a focus on the day-to-day experiences, grassroots initiatives and new opportunities for development and inclusion.

For more information, contact Tamilore Oni: tamilore.oni@nsibidiinstitute.org

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