Accra's market queens — zina.berrada

ACCRA’S MARKET QUEENS
[ GSAPP | Advanced Studio VI ]

LOCATION Accra, Ghana
YEAR Spring 2023
ADVISOR(S) Gary Bates
COLLABORATOR(S) Ridhi Chopra

Keywords | Civic space, informal economy, appropriation

Civic spaces and identities extend beyond physical structures to include diverse forms such as objects, time, and measurability. Makola market in Accra, the world's second-largest informal market, plays a vital role in the city's economy, hosting a range of vendors and goods. The government's attempts to impose large-scale infrastructure face local opposition, suggesting a top-down approach may not be the most effective for development. How can we design for a society that embraces the temporality of everyday life and foster a sense of ownership and agency within the collective?

The hypothesis emphasizes designing for stakeholders facing social hierarchy, empowering them to navigate public spaces confidently. The goal is not to exacerbate existing stratification but to enhance conditions for traders, incorporating organizational schemes for intervention provision, maintenance, and use. Our objective is to address Accra's intricacies by integrating trust, impermanence, adaptability, and security into the approach. Prototypes developed aim to be replicable and scalable, extending beyond local problem-solving frameworks.