Figure 2. SICAP residential area. In November 1958, the Republic of Senegal was proclaimed within the French Community and in 1960 it became completely independent. In 1959 the OHLM (Office des habitations a loyer modéré) was founded. It cooperated with SICAP to improve the working-class areas in the Northern part of the urban expansion between the ‘Allées du Cente- naire’ and Colobane, In the 1960s the whole zone was characterized by slums, built on unhealthy lands near the indust- rial area outside the two ‘official’ towns (Plateau and Medina). The area was In 1956 Dakar, with more than 200 000 inhabitants, became the capital of Sene- Figure 3. Dakar’s growth. Figure 4. Building site prices in CFA Francs. Source: T. Camara and A. Arecchi, ENDA, 1984. Data from Journal Officie! Dakar has a remarkable influence in West Africa in the overdeveloped com- mercial sector, and this phenomenon shows a dependency on a foreign market, around 6%, the percentage which has been constant throughout Dakar’s history.’ This rise was partly due to the Figure 6. Dakar from the air. However, the stratification of social classes, habits and powers in Senegalese society today broadens this gap which has been presented too schematically above. In the Plateau the representative func- tions (banks located in Place de I'In- dépendance, the Presidential Palace, t Administration Building and other mi isterial offices, embassies) intertwine with luxury trade (rue Pompidou) and t main direct services (hotels, hospitals, private clinics). Within the network these various activities there is also t ne n- ne of he small amount of trade and handicrafts carried out by people from Syria, Leba- non, Mauritania and Cape Verde (t ne immigration from this region has in- vegetation (which has either ornamental or utilitarian purposes) to the public services and living conditions; from water consumption (running water in the house or fountain in the street) to the frequency of certain diseases (tuberculosis and
