Open AccessThe Beach Beneath Dakar's Streets: Control, Exclusion, and Play in Public Space
Author(s) -
Scheld Suzanne
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
proceedings of the african futures conference
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2573-508X
DOI - 10.1002/j.2573-508x.2016.tb00037.x
Subject(s) - public space , context (archaeology) , covert , democracy , sociology , social control , space (punctuation) , social exclusion , political science , geography , politics , social science , law , engineering , architectural engineering , linguistics , philosophy , archaeology
The Beach Beneath the Streets (“Sous les paves, la plage!”) was a popular expression in France in 1968. It referred to the vitality of social interactions under the radar, control over the unruly, control over nature, and the threat of returning repression (Shepard and Smithsimon 2011: 3). It also signaled a new way of thinking—seeing the city as a space of democracy, possibility, and freedom (LeFebvre 2003). Arguably, in some areas of the world, such as the United States, there is hope for a beach beneath the streets for although there are many vibrant public spaces, there are a growing number of direct, filtered, and covert forms of control over public space; in theory this undermines the development of a democratic society (Low and Smith 2006). Are the same dynamics of repression and resistance playing out in public spaces in African cities? Are public spaces in urban Africa sites of control as well as sites of contestation? If so, what are the current mechanisms for control and exclusion? And, what are the forms of play and opportunities for expressing new perspectives on the nature of urban life? This paper asks these questions in the context of Dakar, Senegal, where street life is abundantly vibrant, and in some cases, in need of mechanisms of control in order to maintain its intended function and equitable access. At the same time, a number of planned public plazas are underutilized and don't appear to foster the social interactions that presumably help to sustain a tolerant and democratic society. In addition to this, coastal public space is rapidly undergoing privatization, and giving rise to direct forms of exclusion as well as contestation. Based on ethnographic data, this paper conveys a preliminary typology of physical public space in Dakar and the mechanisms and levels of control, exclusion, and play afforded in these areas. It examines these aspects of public space as a means to reflect on the distinct character of the city, and the relevance and possibilities for public space in Dakar's future.