Cases Quote by Rem Koolhaas
![“Everyone is talking about sustainability and resilience, yet all that knowledge is thrown in the bin. [Lagos is] a unique case, but also a test case. It's unbelievably unique, but also it's now considered with a number of really generic opinions, generic solution, generic expectations.” quote by Rem Koolhaas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a9a/rem-koolhaas-5371_cases_everyone-is-talking-about-sustainability_2070841.jpg)
“Everyone is talking about sustainability and resilience, yet all that knowledge is thrown in the bin. [Lagos is] a unique case, but also a test case. It's unbelievably unique, but also it's now considered with a number of really generic opinions, generic solution, generic expectations.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Lecture on Urban Planning, Lagos, 2018
Ideas about sustainability are often ignored, making Lagos a critical test for real solutions versus generic rhetoric.
In simple terms: Sustainability ideas are discarded, leaving Lagos as a test case.
Key Takeaway
Apply concrete, context‑specific strategies instead of generic ones.
Themes
urban planning
environmental design
sustainability
resilience
policy
innovation
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
analytical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- city planning
- policy making
- community development
- academic research
Key Concepts
systems thinking
contextual design
adaptive management
Questions to Reflect On
- How can Lagos become a model for tailored sustainability?
- What barriers prevent local implementation of ideas?
A Different Perspective
Generic solutions fail without local adaptation.
![“That has been another interesting discovery: that basically a city [Lagos] could recover from a really deep, deep, deep pit.” quote by Rem Koolhaas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/61e/rem-koolhaas-5371_cities_that-has-been-another-interesting-discov_15915.jpg)
![“The beauty of my profession [architecture] lies in its randomness and surprise. And don't think I can choose my projects. I have to build what's offered to me.” quote by Rem Koolhaas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/712/rem-koolhaas-5371_architecture_the-beauty-of-my-profession-architecture_97486.jpg)
![“Nigeria [in 1990] was all rumour, an unbelievable amount of rumour - largely about crime and almost mythical manifestations of evil.” quote by Rem Koolhaas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/72f/rem-koolhaas-5371_amount_nigeria-in-1990-was-all-rumour-an-unbeli_125862.jpg)
![“[As in the case of] alcohol prohibition, illegality has driven organized crime, sent countless people to jail, and killed many thousands. Repression does not work.” quote by Sam Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/212/sam-branson-36458_alcohol_as-in-the-case-of-alcohol-prohibition-il_8703.jpg)
