Sheik Tunis makes a case against fencing the Sierra Leone Lumley Beach

Sheik A Tunis

WHY FENCE LUMLEY BEACH?

I was the least surprised with the Minister of Tourism’s radical proposal to fence and beautify one of Sierra Leone’s most notable natural scenery, one of the only surviving true public spaces in the Republic of Sierra Leone. As Freetown grows in population, it continues to lose open and public spaces. Freetown and it’s environs continue to lose living room to private or individual rooms. Public sphere is the room where people come together to socialize with each other and enjoy the city’s amenities.

Lumley Beach is the largest and most accessible public space in the country. Lumley Beach is not only of economic and social values, it also has become a national symbol and a Mecca for all Sierra Leoneans. Therefore, the urgency in the minister’s intended action or proposal is well in place and I applaud her sense of pride and purpose. The current condition of the beach is a national disgrace; it is no secret that the beach is dirty and unsafe at night. Why and how did the minister suggest that barricading the beach will encourage tourism? Does she have a clue as to what such action will suggest? Walling off the beach is not a waste of the country’s meager resources, it is also an unfair barrier to public use of public property. It would clearly show the government’s inability to provide security for all citizens and tourists. More importantly it is the wrong response to the deteriorating condition of the beach.

Public space is a center for bringing people of all social classes together to share a common place. It is within public spaces that public life unfolds. Without public places such as markets, plazas, parks, streets, and beaches, the mixing of the classes will become increasingly uncommon. In short, their would perhaps cause an unintended class barrier. Unfortunately, through the use of fear tactics, especially the threat of violent crimes, privatized settings are usurping the public sphere. We cannot trade sustainability, expediency and efficiency for a quick fix to endemic problems. The proposal to wall off or fence the beach will not resolve the security and unsanitary conditions, nor will it encourage tourists. It may even exacerbate the already dilapidated conditions. Also, our economic situation call for frugality; therefor the cost of fencing will be prohibitive. This is not to excoriate the ministers proposal, and I hope I will not be misinterpreted. In this piece, it is my intention to provide options that will save Lumley beach from quasi privatization and an obstructive design.

Why fencing Lumley beach is wrong

Lumley beach is the only public space left in the city where poor, rich, weak, strong, sick, well, young and old and all social classes meet and socialize with the anonymity, privacy and freedom cities provide. It would be good to make a clear definition of what public space means. A public space like a public service; it does not have to justify its existence by any means other than providing citizens with a place to be. As a public service its continued existence is guaranteed. An essential element of public spaces is that they are by default accessible to all; their use is a right that can only be taken away due to impropriety, not a privilege that must be bought or earned. Using a public space involves no special contractual obligations between the user and provider. Finally, it is worth accentuating here that public spaces are public and not private. Anna Meroni and Paola Trapani, two public space advocates attest that a; “public space is the accessible field of opportunity and interaction, where people can meet to share experiences and visions, where they can try out new paths to solve their own problems and improve the quality of life.”

It is clear from the above analysis, that any policy relating to a Lumley Beach upgrade, revitalization, or beautification should be inclusive and not divisive or exclusive as the walling off will be. Sami Saghie the first beach bar owner in Sierra Leone lamented thus, “ What really disturbs me the most though is the regressive approach of ‘fencing off the beach’ etc, etc.. all which is code for saying keep the ‘riff’-raff’ out. Before the Venue was built, the common man had no place to go spend the day on the beach with his family and enjoy themselves in the same way as anyone else irrespective of social status. The beach is the most accessibly place that bringsg together all Sierra Leoneans enjoying themselves in one place with no regards to their socio-economic status. All the other places that existed were fenced off and behind huge walls. Beach use for the general populace was mostly on Boxing day and Easter Monday and the refreshments available where sold out of mobile vending units”. It should be noted that previous negligence and stop gap measures made the beach the eye sore and criminal hub that the minister outlined. Indeed this national jewel is in dire strait and deserves attention.

Many Sierra Leoneans think that the minister has employed fear tactics as a mechanism to give her the nod to get rid of the “ rif rafs”. Fear is a great motivator. It has been used for centuries to control the way we behave, the way we perceive others, and how we live in our communities, almost always to bad effects. As great place maker William H. Whyte asserts; “So-called ‘undesirables are not the problem. It is the measures taken to combat them that is the problem… The best way to handle the problem of undesirables is to make the place attractive to everyone else.”

Fear of “undesirables” causes the destruction of our once beautiful forest fortress hillside; as the affluent run away from the poor. Who can remember Victoria Park as it was in the 1970s when the Chinese renovated it for their exhibition? Park and sidewalk has been remodeled or neglected to an extent they are without seating, shade or amenities that might encourage positive activity that inhibit crimes and other negative behaviors.

What type of fence is the minister proposing? If the fence is high, two problems are created; it obstructs the beautiful scenery that is desired by all visitors and passers by. If that becomes the case, it will create hiding corners when it is dark. If is too short, then it is a waste of money as it will be of no deterrent for criminals, because anyone cane easily scale the fence. Giant fences and walls out of scale with the street designs are alienating, dull and inhuman; they can only intimidate, and do not promote a sense of place. In short, the fencing is only a tactic to exclude the poor, the less fortunate and assure the privileged and the business owners of an exclusive fun-safe haven, while the poor people languish in anxiety outside the fence. It does not have to be so.

Visual obstructions

The safety and sanitation factors are real, but the method of countering those factors should not necessarily result to a barren and hostile place for all citizens. The best way to revitalize Lumley beach is to invite the public to share its design and planning. The technocrats or professionals don’t have all the answers, people in the community, businesses and tourists have many creative ideas for design, programs and activities for vibrant and a viable water front if they could only be given a proper forum to be heard. Lumley beach needs to be designed with flexible uses in mind, always taking into account that a mixture of sun and shade, sand and water, and a good view of the scenery are essential. An excellent design public space provides series of uses and activities; is easily accessible; is safe, clean, and attractive (“comfort and image”); and, perhaps, most important, it is sociable; it is a place to meet other people. Vibrant and flourishing public place is much safer, and easier to police than an empty secluded one.

Another part of the minister’s proposal is to beautify the beach to an international standard. This vague description left a lot to be desired about the project. It is worthy of the minister to give specifics on her plans, such as what she means by ‘beautification of the beach to meet international standards’, and ‘expedite the demarcation process to enable the beautification process of the Lumley beach, which will create revenue generation and youth employment. These are vague and coded expressions that mean nothing in the design element of the beach.

We are aware of the dilapidated and filthy condition of the beach but the beach’s natural scenery is intact and is as beautiful as it has always been. One visitor of the beach and long time resident living in the US, Omo Thorpe describes the beach condition as “The beauty of Sierra Leone’s Lumley beach is marred by the filth and the mass population activities at the beach. Let us all be reminded that there are no public facilities like toilets around the beaches of Sierra Leone, and there are no trash containers along the stretch of the Lumley beach.” If the lack of proper sanitation and security has inhibited and befuddled the beauty of the beach would it not make more sense to provide proper garbage collection, toilets and security services? What type of beautification is needed? The most glaringly and noticeable design elements that are missing and needed to uplift Lumley beach are sittings, vegetation, trees, toilets and lighting. These elements can be constructed humanly with very small budgets to sterilize a vibrant beach.

Sustainable Management

Government should not be in everything at all time. Government is best as an enabler than a provider of goods and services supplier. Creating a Neighborhood Business Improvement District (with emphasis on Neighborhood) will protect and provide the tourist industry and the public right to a safe and clean environment. The NBID will be a non for profit organization that will be funded by the government and businesses within the district. The responsibility of that NBID will be to provide security for beach visitors and properties (private and public) and maintain the district’s sanitation condition. Such an organization will solve both the security and sanitary challenges that has pervaded Lumley beach for so long.

I suggest that, instead of wasting money on elaborate and ineffective fencing, the minister should provide solar or other energy saving lighting that will serve the beach with little cost. It is a fact that criminals are abulic by lighting; a well lit environment will encourage positive behaviors that discourage negative actions and scare away criminals. If the minister is really serious about cashing out on this national jewel and interested in improving the tourism industry, then she needs to be a little innovative and frugal with the limited amount of money at her disposal. For example, the minister should create themes and concessions that will be sold to businesses through a standard bidding process. However, such concessions should be limited to not more than five years per theme. The ministry’s role should be purely to create standards, collect revenue and provide security for all Sierra Leoneans and Tourists.

About the author: Sheikh A Tunis, is an Urban Planner in New York City. He is experienced in place making and advocacy for open and public space preservation.

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By Daily Mail