Discover The World’s First Futuristic City In Africa.
Flying cars, massive bridges, hyper-connected street experiences, and underground locations
could all be seen in cities in the future.
Big data, the Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence will power these future cities,
allowing them to live, breathe, and even think alongside us.
Other characteristics of the futuristic metropolis include sustainability, inclusion, and mixed-use.
Technology will be used to create a new quality of life in well-planned developments with
a human touch.
URBAN HUB looks into some innovative projects taking place in cities around the world.
Akon City is a smart, futuristic, high-styled, solar-powered city proposed for 2000 acres
in Senegal, Africa.
Sengalese singer and entrepreneur Akon was inspired by Marvel's film Black Panther and
its fictional city of Wakanda.
Hello there, and thank you for joining us.
Today, we will be discovering Africa's first futuristic city.
Stay tuned as we make our way to the finish line.
The Brains Behind The Project.
Akon City was announced in 2018 by Akon and the Senegal Minister of Tourism, Alioune Sarrin.
The project vision is to create a business district and high-rise residential area with
a focus on education, healthcare, technology, media, entertainment, and sports facilities
using a smart city approach and vibrant community development.
Reason for The Construction of this City?
According to Akon, Akon City will be the future city of African societies, complete with luxury
resorts, high-rise condos, a stadium, eco-friendly tourist centers, and shopping malls.
"If it succeeds," the artist says, "we'll scale it out to all the other African countries
so that all the cities are connected."
The construction of Senegal's metropolis has been scheduled for a 10-year period.
The $6 billion project to build and operate the city has been awarded to KE International,
a consulting and engineering firm based in the United States.
The architectural designs will be led by Bakri & Associates Development Consultants, a Dubai-based
consultant, under the supervision of KE International.
How The Government is Struggling to Realize The Project.
In order to entice corporations to invest in Akon City, Senegal's government has provided
tax breaks.
However, this exemption is only available if they invest more than $1 billion.
Furthermore, the state will provide free energy and water to new businesses.
Furthermore, the city will be built on a blockchain platform and powered by AKOIN, the city's
own cryptocurrency.
AKOIN, according to sources, will allow citizens to be more self-sufficient in the face of
fluctuating African monetary systems.
Location And Connectivity.
The city is located in the heart of Dakar, one of the most populous cities in West Africa.
It has a population of around 4 million people.
Dakar is connected to the rest of the country's major cities via National Route 1 (Route de
la Mer), which runs through the heart of the city.
The city is linked to the rest of Senegal by national highways.
The two airports are the Senegalese Airports Authority (ASDS) and the Dakar International
Airport.
The latter is the only international airport in the country.
Akon City will be easily accessible to tourists and investors due to its proximity to the
Dakar port.
There are also plans to connect the city to the capital.
Features of The Project.
Akon City will have several features that set it apart from other cities around the
world.
Some of these characteristics are as follows: 1.Self-sufficiency: All utilities, including
electricity, water, and gas, will be provided by the city.
There will be no need for centralized providers.
2.
Energy efficiency and sustainability: Wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectricity, biomass,
and biogas will be used entirely to power the city.
It is entirely powered by solar energy, thanks to Akon's own solar-power initiative, Akon
Lightening Africa.
3.
Blockchain: Blockchain technology will be used to manage the city's data and transactions.
This is discussed further below.
4.
Smart city infrastructure: The city will include smart technology like artificial intelligence,
robotics, the internet of things, and self-driving cars.
Akon City residents will also have unlimited free Internet access.
5.
Social Infrastructure: A special emphasis will be placed on educating the region's youth.
As a result, many educational institutions, including universities, colleges, schools,
and training centers, can continue to operate.
The city will have media and entertainment businesses, as well as sports facilities,
in addition to well-equipped hospitals and clinics.
6.
Environmentally friendly tourism: The city will serve as a regional tourism hub.
It is aimed at those who want to immerse themselves in the environment and culture.
Every Akon City resident will receive a digital ID card.
It will contain information about the person, his family, and his possessions.
This data will be stored using a distributed ledger system.
7.
Decentralized governance: All decisions about the city's development will be made through
consensus voting.
Each citizen will vote for the initiatives that they want to see implemented.
8.
Akon City will prioritize community development and social inclusion.
Planning, Design And Principles Of The Project.
Senegal's growth strategy will be multifaceted, catering to both the developing economy and
neighboring countries.
The design of the futuristic city will be guided by a thorough understanding of the
past, with a strong community-based culture, local traditions, and legacy.
Furthermore, natural trees and plants will be planted around open spaces to blend them
into the landscape.
According to the Akon City website, 'the walkways connecting the structures will be a reworking
of the human ge'metry of communication.'
The city will also be built with three main principles in mind: awareness, inclusivity,
and sustainability.
Developmental Phases.
The first phase of development started in 2019 with the goal of finishing by 2025.
According to the plan, the city will be divided into three zones: commercial, industrial,
and residential.
To begin, the commercial zone will include, among other things, hotels, restaurants, stores,
banks, schools, hospitals, clinics, offices, museums, cinemas, theaters, and casinos.
The second zone would cover the industrial sector, which includes factories, warehouses,
logistics centers, food processing facilities, research institutes, and educational institutions.
Finally, in the third zone, there will be high-end residential communities.
There will be swimming pools, gyms, spas, tennis courts, golf courses, and other modern
amenities.
The second phase of Akon City will last from 2024 to 2029.
It is expected to culminate in the creation of an entire city based solely on the AKOIN
cryptocurrency.Akon City, as previously stated, will be self-sufficient in terms of energy
generation.
Solar panels will be installed on the roofs of buildings and apartments.
The city will also use wind turbines and geothermal power stations.
Currency Of Exchange.
AKOIN will be the official currency of Akon City.
It was pegged to the US dollar in 2018.
The coin can be used to pay taxes and fees, buy goods and services, and make online payments.
AKOIN will be backed up by gold reserves stored in Swiss vaults.
Furthermore, the reserve amount will be 10% of the total number of coins in circulation.
According to the project's creators, AKOIN will be completely decentralized, with no
intermediaries or central bodies required.
As a result, market price manipulation will be impossible.
In addition, the city will have its own blockchain platform, allowing residents to access their
wallets from anywhere.
Critics Of The Project.
Akon City was envisioned as a technologically advanced city for the people of Senegal, where
the majority of the population is impoverished.
As a result, he sought to build cities for all while also improving the economy and promoting
development, particularly among young people, by creating thousands of jobs.
Several experts believe the concept has potential and should be promoted.
Others are concerned that the city will be expensive to maintain and that the infrastructure
will deteriorate quickly if adequate resources are not available.
Some critics believe the project lacks sufficient information about how the city would function.
Furthermore, they claim that no concrete plans exist to implement all of the whitepaper's
functionality.
In one of the interviews, Ola Uduku, Associate Professor of Architecture and Dean for Africa
at the University of Edinburgh, mentioned that West Africa has a rich architectural
heritage, and that echoes of African Modernism have been discussed in many books.
He contended that, rather than entrusting a project to an entirely new organization,
Akon could have worked with local West African planners and architects to develop more democratic
ideas and suggestions for Senegal's futuristic city.
Inside and out, you're astute.
In many ways, smart cities are simply good urban planning that incorporates advances
in digital technology as well as new thinking in age-old city concepts such as relationships,
community, environmental sustainability, participatory democracy, good governance, and transparency.
Thank you for your time.
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