Vernacular architecture & spatial typology: their share in urban health

Globalization and technological progress have facilitated the progressive implementation of “modern” architectural and urban planning in the countries of the South. These countries aim to replicate Western planning models in African cities. Both at the public and private level, trends are adopted and promoted, without accurate adaptation to socio-cultural and economic realities. Our opinion is that the "modern" typology in the architectural and spatial projects in Africa, in terms of choice of materials and spatiality, does not always correspond to the climatic and social realities and can also, in the long term, pose health problems. Indeed, earth, straw, wood, and community spatial organization in constructions are replaced by concrete, glass, and by contiguous spaces, leading to unbearable thermal conditions and increasing health risks. Agriculture as well, as a traditional activity, is resisted by “modern” urban planning, limiting the asset of healthy and more available crops and foods. On this basis, we will see how the coherence of the choice of materials and spatial typologies is important for the health of the urban dwellers. However, as much as the ability of Western technology allows Southern countries to improve real needs for transactions and data collection, vernacular techniques should be revisited and improved in order to consider the economic and socio-cultural circumstances of these Southern cities. Moreover, considering the incremental logic, in materiality and spatial typology, or more broadly, in strategies transforming built environments, could contribute to the improvement of urban health.