Backstory
During the Summer of 2018 The J. Max Bond Center for Urban Futures of the City College of New York was introduced to Impact Hub Accra by Mr. Rossie E. Turman III, Chair of International Finance practice at Lowenstein Sadler LLP to explore a potential collaboration building upon the aspirations of Impact Hubs leadership led by William Senyo and Jean Paul Margiani. The rich legacy of J. Max Bond Jr. was brought to bear on this new professional relationship. Bond’s years of practice dedicated to the building of the then young Ghanian country in the 1960s served as a fruitful model for the emerging collaboration. Upon several coordination and planning meetings the two organizations established an agreement to work collaboratively on the research and development a comprehensive and sustainable development strategy that addresses the inherent challenges associated with urban settlement patterns, limited infrastructure, housing shortages and limited economic opportunity within Accra. Several of these challenges are further exacerbated by financing challenges presented by limited local and international development investment and a lack of accessible consumer banking and loan products. The later is considered as an important component in creating a stable affordable housing market whereby consumer affordability, development investment and loan repayment and risk is mitigated through the financial products such as financial credit, savings and loan offerings.
Impact Hub Accra as a leader in the entrepreneurial incubation space made a compelling case toward identifying an opportunity to expand their mission to address the creation of a scalable holistic community whereby living, learning, working and creating would not only advance a new generation of Ghanaians economically but would also operate as a new platform for the creation of housing and corresponding commercial spaces serving as an economic catalyst in support of the growth of emerging and established business affiliates and the local community in which it resides.
The Bond Center along with the Impact Hub Accra began its initial research in January 2019. The lead researchers, Shawn L. Rickenbacker, Director and Associate Professor of Architecture and Michael Sorkin, Distinguished Professor of Architecture and Urban Design led a team of Center researchers on the development of an alternative spatial and economic supply chain. The work progressed with the collaborative assistance of a team architects, engineers, international economists, technologists, and sociologists. That work was interrupted by the Global Covid 2019 Pandemic during which time we lost our esteemed colleague and friend Michael Sorkin to Covid 19. In the Fall of 2021 the Bond Center resumed work on the concept and through the creation of academic and industry collaborative research agreement was joined by the firm Davis, Brody Bond and Spacesmith. Davis Brody Bond Architects and Planners is the legacy firm of J. Max Bond Jr. of which he was a Partner from 1990 - 2009. A fitting tribute to his legacy and the principles for which he stood for.
