Abstract
The modernization of African cities, shifted toward decentralization in the early 90s, with state commitment to creating a platform for human resource development and poverty alleviation.The urbanization of West African cities occurred through transformations of socio-cultural structures resulting from colonial practices, leading to a rupture between tradition and modernization. This paper seeks to clarify the essence of changes that affect the spatial and social core of West African cities. Our research focuses on the transformation of Bamako and Segou and consists of (1) a comparative study of city forms, (2) a linguistic study of city words rooted in an historical assessment of spaces, and (3) a comparison of regional development between Bamako and Segou. Our results clarified the different ways in which the breakdown in communication between planning authorities and the proponents of local tradition have influenced the process of urban space.
