Architects task stakeholders on affordable housing, rising urbanisation

 The Nigeria Institute of Architects (NIA), Lagos chapter, has challenged stakeholders and professionals in the built industry on the need for affordable housing delivery for medium and low income earners in the country.

The institute at its just concluded forum tagged, Lagos 4.0, Architecture and Urban Design, in its communiqué after the forum urged professionals to explore alternative construction systems which will increase speed and efficiency in housing delivering in the country.

According to the communiqué, stakeholders at the forum unanimously agreed that the use of local content will help meet the challenges presently faced by conventional construction methods which will go a long way in reducing the present 16 million housing deficit nationwide.

Tunde Reis, president, First World Communities Ltd, in his keynote address stated that professionals are saddled with the responsibility of driving urban development, noting that there could not have been a better time to have a concerted effort than now in view of the challenges of globalisation, climate change, urban sprawl and economic recession.

The institute recommended that in the pursuit of urbanisation, professionals should be proactive in taking up the challenge of driving the modeling and shaping of urban development.

In line with this, it further tasked stakeholders to be coherent in corporate practice which in turn aids rapid urbanisation process in major cities, highlighting the need for cities to be planned appropriately for economic growth as they affect the productivity level of the people.

The forum which featured scientific sessions also focused on evolving an efficient urban space by creating and shaping cities in three dimensional form and character to make them livable and sustainable.

This, it explained, could be done through the application of planned multiple buildings, public spaces, transport systems and infrastructure in the public sphere.