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1 - Reimagining African Cities

from Part I - Understanding Sustainable Urban Planning in Africa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 December 2023

By
Patrick Brandful Cobbinah  and
Eric Gaisie
Edited by
Patrick Brandful Cobbinah  and
Eric Gaisie
Patrick Brandful Cobbinah
Affiliation:
University of Melbourne
Eric Gaisie
Affiliation:
University of Melbourne
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Summary

This collection of essays is one in a series of books on urban planning and sustainable development in Africa, bringing together scholarship from different disciplines in urban studies, planning and social sciences across different regions of the continent. It is aimed at readers from urban specialisms in spatial planning, human geography, environmental law and other social sciences, and professionals and policymakers concerned with urban development, land use planning and informality governance. Urban planning has emerged over the past half a century in Africa through colonisation, influencing urban policies, practices, discourses and institutions in the continent’s cities. Today, it remains the bedrock for realising sustainable development ideals across the continent’s growing cities, yet current practices indicate otherwise. A narrative is presented on why urban planning needs to be reimagined in Africa and its association with sustainable urban development, involving complex policy developments during colonial and post-colonial times. The case of African cities is discussed, having acquired importance because of their particular history of colonisation and growth in urbanisation and population as well as experiences of climate change. The chapter contributions in this book are then outlined together with how they contribute to evolving ideas on urban planning and sustainable development in Africa.

Keywords

urban planningsustainable developmentAfricacolonisation
Type
Chapter
Information
Reimagining Urban Planning in Africa , pp. 3 - 17
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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