Akon City

Despite some challenges,  the American singer Akon has said his plans to build a city from scratch will go ahead. Akon has raised funds for a futuristic metropolis with a population of 300,000 people. It will be called Akon City and be built on the coast of Senegal on Africa's west coast. Akon has Senegalese roots. He was born in the USA to Senegalese parents and spent much of his childhood in Africa. He described his city as a "real-life Wakanda," in reference to the city in the movie "Black Panther". He announced that construction on the $6 billion project will commence next year and is expected to take three years to complete. He hopes his undertaking will provide much-needed employment for the Senegalese.

Blueprints on the akoncity.com website show a cityscape of surreal-looking gleaming glass and steel high-rises. The designs of the towering were inspired by traditional sculptures made in African villages. The city will boast high-tech living and high-speed Internet connectivity. Akon wants the city to be a port of call for Senegalese and other Africans facing racial injustice in the USA or Europe. He said: "The system back home treats people unfairly, in so many different ways that you can never imagine. And they only go through it because they feel that there is no other way. So if you're coming from...the diaspora and you feel that you want to visit Africa, we want Senegal to be your first stop." 

1.Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

1.	from scratch	a.	Collected or brought together money or resources.
2.	raised	b.	Family, ethnic, or cultural origins, especially as the reasons for one's long-standing emotional attachment to a place or community.
3.	metropolis	c.	The part of the land near the sea; the edge of the land.
4.	coast	d.	A very large and densely populated industrial and commercial city.
5.	roots	e.	From the very, very beginning.
6.	commence	f.	A task or project that is taken on; an enterprise.
7.	undertaking	g.	Begin or start.

    Paragraph 2

8.	blueprint	h.	The state of being linked to computers.
9.	surreal	i.	A design plan or other technical drawing.
10.	gleaming	j.	Art that is two- or three-dimensional forms, especially made by carving stone or wood or by casting metal or plaster.
11.	inspired	k.	All of the people living outside their own country.
12.	sculpture	l.	Shine brightly, especially with reflected light.
13.	connectivity	m.	Filled with the desire or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.
14.	diaspora	n.	Bizarre.

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1. funds
2. metropolis
3. roots
4. announced
5. undertaking
6. surreal
7. inspired
8. injustice
9. treats

1. unfairness
2. made public
3. bizarre
4. origins
5. motivated
6. money
7. enterprise
8. behaves toward
9. conurbation

3. City Problems: What is the problem in your city in these areas? What is the solution? 

	Problem	Solution
Transport
Restaurants
Parks
Housing
Policing
Crime

4. You made a list of  10 cities / countries that you have visited. Describe their impact on you both in positive and negative and how would you compare them to a city like Barcelona

• Australia
• Japan
• Myanmar
• Delhi, India
• Brasil
• Cadaqués
• Rias Baixas, Galicia
• Namibia
• Torres el Paine, Xile
• Naples, Amalfi Coast and Capri

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5. DISCUSSION: AKON CITY

Discuss:

• 1.How far back do your roots go?

• 2.What kind of city would you like to live in?

• 3.What do you think of a city for the African diaspora?

• 4.What do you know about Senegal?

• 5.What questions would you like to ask Akon?

6.CITIES: What do you know about these cities? Rank them on a scale from 1 to 10 and tell us why.

What is the most iconic building or piece of architecture or unique aspect of each of these cities that makes it stand out from the others ?  

• Cairo
• Moscow
• New Delhi
• Dubai
• Tehran
• Mexico City
• Bangkok
• Berlin
• Bogota
• Buenos Aires
• Paris
• NYC
• Montreal
• Tokyo
• Pyongyang
• London
• Dublin
• Madrid
• Santiago
• Barcelona