Shortcutting colonial measures in the present day. Citizens of Kinshasa negotiate pedestrian mobility and redefine a hospital

Geenen, Kristien; De Nys-Keteles, Simon

doi:10.1177/1206331218797037

Article (Scientific journals)

Shortcutting colonial measures in the present day. Citizens of Kinshasa negotiate pedestrian mobility and redefine a hospital

Geenen, Kristien; De Nys-Keteles, Simon

2018 • In Space and Culture, p. 1-15

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

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https://hdl.handle.net/2268/237999

DOI
10.1177/1206331218797037

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Keywords :

Kinshasa; urban segregation; pedestrian mobility

Abstract :

[en] This article deals with the way urban planning during colonial times affects the mobility of pedestrians today. In Kinshasa, a green belt cuts the eldest part of the city right in two, and this hinders a smooth traffic flow. The belt is what remains of the neutral zone which the colonial authorities implemented to separate the European from the African neighborhoods; it consisted of several large walled off facilities, such as a zoo, a park and a hospital. In this article, we explore how pedestrians in Kinshasa deal with these obstructions to their mobility. We show that they forge their pedestrian itineraries through walls designed to be impermeable, in particular by shortcutting a hospital. These alternative itineraries have solidified through time, laying bare the effectiveness of their persistent daily walks. As we argue, the pedestrians actively redefine the mobility patterns of their city.

Research Center/Unit :

Vakgroep Architectuur en Stedenbouw, Ugent

Disciplines :

History
Architecture
Anthropology

Author, co-author :

Geenen, Kristien ; Université de Liège > Faculté des sciences sociales > Labo d'anthropologie sociale et culturelle (LASC)

De Nys-Keteles, Simon; Universiteit Gent - Ugent > Architectuur en Stedenbouw

Language :

English

Title :

Shortcutting colonial measures in the present day. Citizens of Kinshasa negotiate pedestrian mobility and redefine a hospital

Publication date :

2018

Journal title :

Space and Culture

ISSN :

1206-3312

eISSN :

1552-8308

Publisher :

SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks, United States - California

Pages :

1-15

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Name of the research project :

Urban landscapes of colonial/postcolonial health care. Towards a spatial mapping of the performance of hospital infrastructure in Kinshasa, Mbandaka and Kisangani (DR Congo) from past to present (1920-2014)

Funders :

FWO - Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Vlaanderen

Available on ORBi :

since 05 July 2019

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