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Since 2009 the Southern Africa City Studies Conference (SACSC) series has provided an interdisciplinary forum for researchers examining urban issues in Southern Africa. We are pleased to announce that the fifth conference in this series will take place from 30 August to 1 September 2020 at the University of the Witwatersrand. Recent interest in comparative urbanism and southern urbanism, as well as a context of regional and global uncertainty, creates an important opportunity for scholars to engage these and other issues and debates from the vantage of urban experiences in our region. One of the objectives of this conference series is to promote emerging scholars who are residents of Southern Africa working on cities in the region or elsewhere, as well as scholarship on cities in Southern Africa. The conference is hosted by the Centre for Urbanism and Built Environment Studies, the Gauteng City-Region Observatory, and the South African Research Chair in Spatial Analysis and City Planning, and in association with the other members of an evolving, informal urban studies network currently made up of the following university entities: the National Research Chair in Economic Development of the City of Johannesburg, University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), the Wits City Institute, the African Centre for Cities at the University of Cape Town, Department of Political Studies, University of the Western Cape, the Urban Futures Centre at the Durban University of Technology, the Centre for Development Support at the University of the Free State, the National Research Chair for Sustainable Human Settlements, Nelson Mandela University, the Department of Town and Regional Planning, University of Pretoria, the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Venda, and the Department of Social Anthropology, North West University. www.sacsc2020.com
The Institute of Spatial Planning (IRPUD) at TU Dortmund University (Germany), together with the Institute of Human Settlement Studies and School of Spatial Planning and Social Sciences at Ardhi University (Tanzania) hosts the fifth international conference of the Association of African Planning Schools (AAPS) from 18 to 20 November 2020 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Themed Urban Africa in the Twenty-First Century: Current Issues and Future Prospects of Urban Governance and Planning, the conference will be organised along five thematic tracks relevant to current issues and future prospects of urban governance and planning in urban Africa: Track 1: Localising planning theories Track 2: Innovating planning education to fit the challenges of climate change Track 3: Participatory and multi-governance approaches for urban resilience Track 4: Toward pro-livelihood adaptation and risk management approaches Track 5: Information and communication technology (ICT) for inclusive spaces The conference will feature keynote addresses from leading urban and planning scholars including Prof Stefan Greiving (TU Dortmund University), Prof Robert Kiunsi (Ardhi University), Prof Wilbard Kombe (Ardhi University), Prof Garth Myers (Trinity College, USA), Prof Sophie Schramm (TU Dortmund University), Prof Vanessa Watson (University of Cape Town).
The RISE Africa platform, together with its partners, hosts its first annual event that brings together Africa’s urban thinkers, doers and enablers, including ICLEI Africa’s member cities, subnational and local governments, from 24 to 28 May 2021. The event is planned around celebrating Africa Day, 25 May, and this year’s theme is NEXT URBAN CHAMPIONS*. See the Curator Statement here, explore the video provocations, or view the RISE Africa 2021 Roadmap. Explore the full 5-day programme below and register for individual sessions or register below for multiple RISE Africa 2021 sessions at once. With 46 sessions to choose from there is something for every thinker, doer and enabler working toward sustainable urban African solutions! The titles with both english and french will have two-way interpretation. Explorez le programme complet de 5 jours ci-dessous et inscrivez-vous à des sessions individuelles ou inscrivez-vous ci-dessous pour plusieurs sessions RISE Africa 2021 à la fois. Avec 46 sessions au choix, il y en a pour tous les penseurs, acteurs et facilitateurs travaillant vers des solutions urbaines africaines durables! Les titres en anglais et en français auront une interprétation bidirectionnelle Download the quick PDF guide to sessions here.
From siloed practitioner to urban integrator for sustainable African city futures – this new Masters programme, convened by the African Centre for Cities, at the University of Cape Town cultivates a new generation of Urban Champions. The complex, multi-dimensional demands of our rapidly urbanising world require holistic, inter-disciplinary thinking and practice. However traditional professional paradigms and often-siloed institutions seem doomed to replicate the entrenched patterns and practices of path-dependent urban infrastructure provision and management. To overcome the often-fragmented ways in which urban questions are framed, institutionalised, and engaged by varied levels of government, citizens, civil society organisations, and private sector actors, we need a new kind of urban practitioner, who can work across practices, professional norms, hierarchies, sectors and urban problems. To meet this need, the African Centre for Cities (ACC), UCT, launches a new Masters in Sustainable Urban Practice, which seeks to cultivates urban integrators who are able to discern opportunities for integration, and can build the necessary coalitions for change; who are confident in varied cultures of communication and can build bridges between sectors, fields, and scales of urban practice. Join ACC for the launch of the programme as Prof Edgar Pieterse, director of the African Centre for Cities, and South African Research Chair in Urban Policy, and programme convenor Dr Mercy Brown-Luthango introduce this exciting new degree.
The FCDO-funded Global Integrity Anti Corruption Evidence Programme supports research teams in not only creating actionable evidence, but deepening engagement with practitioners. The Cities of Integrity research team have tried many different ways to communicate research more effectively with practitioners. Over the course of the project they have developed a series of animated videos illustrating the specific issues of corruption in urban planning and its consequences for cities and their publics. These animations have been used in workshops, social media, and direct engagement with particular groups such as early career planners. As part of this event the team will screen the series followed by a panel discussion with the animators, the research team, and a representative from the Zambian Institute of Planners. We will discuss the advantages and limitations of using animated film in workshops and communications around integrity-strengthening as a response to corruption in planning. The Cities of Integrity team will reflect on their experience working with the production house in translating their research into accessible language and visuals and hone in on the question of impact together with the Zambian Institute of Planners as a key stakeholder. Join us for the official premiere of their three-part series of animated shorts. Zoom Registration PanelistsBart Love - Director, AnotherLoveProduction, Cape TownLaura Nkula-Wenz - Cities of Integrity, Project Coordinator, African Centre for CitiesVanessa Watson - Cities of Integrity, Principal Investigator, University of Cape TownGilbert Siame - Cities of Integrity, Co- Principal Investigator, University of ZambiaPlanner from Zambian Institute of Planning (ZIP) Anotherlove Productions has been creating engaging visual content for clients from around the world for over a decade. They believe that a well-told visual story - be it an animation, a documentary or an infographic - can challenge, encourage and activate audiences whilst shifting perceptions. For this creative team, a rigorous and engaged production process is as valuable as the final product. They are happiest when their clients have enjoyed working with them, and they have a piece of meaningful and effective media at the end of it. The Zambian Institute of Planning is a professional corporate body established by the Urban and Regional Planners Act of 2011 of the Laws of Zambia to register and regulate the practice of planning in Zambia Prof. Vanessa Watson is an emerita professor at the School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics, University of Cape Town. She is the Principal Investigator for the Cities of Integrity project. Dr. Gilbert Siame is a lecturer at the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Zambia (UNZA) as well as the Co-PI and Zambia research lead for Cities of Integrity. Dr. Laura Nkula-Wenz is a lecturer at the African Centre for Cities, University of Cape Town and the project lead for Cities of Integrity.
The MPhil Southern Urbanism programme is conceived of, and designed to cultivate a new generation of urban scholars rooted in the realities and theories of Southern cities. The programme as an intellectual project has its foundations in Urban Studies as a scholarly debate and as an interdisciplinary imperative situated in the complex realities of African and southern cities. Through a combination of guided learning in small-group seminars, experimentation in various spaces of urban practice and independent thesis research, the programme provides a truly unique opportunity to ground yourself in the realities, theories and practise of cities of the Global South. The programme seeks to build students' capacity to engage in epistemological debates, thinking from the vantage point of African and Southern cities, and versed in global urban debates. The core courses, namely Urban Theory, Urban Everyday and Curating Urban Regulation, are designed to impart these skills and knowledge. A cornerstone of the programme is the City Research Studio, a compulsory, year-long course that aims to cultivate methodological dexterity and the capacity for rigorous research through experimental and experiential learning. Finally the minor dissertation provides students with the opportunity to build confidence in writing, in articulating scholarly arguments, and in positioning oneself in the field effectively. Applications for the 2022 MPhil Southern Urbanism programme are open. If you are interested in applying but have some questions, join programme convenor Dr Anna Selmeczi for an info session. In the session she will give a brief overview of the programme and there will be plenty of time for your questions. WHEN | Monday, 14 June 2021TIME | 12:30-13:00 SASTREGISTER HERE
Many urban studies journals publish few articles from African-based scholars: how can this be changed? While in "international" northern-based journals publishing the work of African based scholars seems to remain a challenge for editors, African scholars have organised many dynamic venues for publishing urban and African studies research. We have invited African-based scholars who have been involved in leading these initiatives to share their experiences; and editors working on Western-based journals to respond. We will hear from four African urban scholars, and then three editors of urban studies journals will respond. French Language translation will be available. Panelists- Edgar Pieterse (founding director of the African Centre for Cities; Professor of Urban Policy, University of Cape Town)- Saheed Aderinto (founder, Lagos Studies Association; Professor of African History at Western Carolina University)- Nadine Machikou (editor, Politique Africaine; Professor of political science at the University of Yaoundé)- Kingsley Madueke (Centre for Conflict Management & Peace Studies, University of Jos, Nigeria; PhD University of Amsterdam) Respondents- Vanessa Watson (Global South editor of Urban Studies; Emerita Professor of City Planning in the School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics and a founder member of the African Centre for Cities)- Liza Weinstein (Editor, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research (ijurr); Associate Professor of Sociology and Chair of the Sociology and Anthropology Department at Northeastern University)- Nik Theodore (Interventions editor of the International Journal of Urban and Regional Research and past editor of Antipode: A Radical Journal of Geography; Professor and Head of the Department of Urban Planning and Policy, as well as the Director of the Center for Urban Economic Development, at the University of Illinois Chicago) This event is part of the RC21 annual conference is the main international urban sociology conference. It brings together scholars in urban sociology and neighbouring fields to discuss developments in urban social theory, methods and empirical research and stimulate discussion and cooperation by offering a variety of formats (plenary lectures, paper sessions, author meets critics sessions, roundtables and panels, walkshops, etc.). This years’ edition takes place from 14 July until 16 July 2021 and is hosted by the University of Antwerp (Belgium). The 2021 conference centers around ‘Sensing and Shaping the City’, focusing on how citizens experience the fragmentary, unequal and contradictory realities of global urbanity. REGISTER HERE
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Town is convening an international summit on how the SDGs can best be realised in the African context with an eye on the role of science and mission-driven partnerships. In the build-up to the Summit, a series of workshops are being organised around seven themes, of which the Circular Economy is one. READ THE CONCEPT NOTE HERE WORKSHOP 1 | 17 August, 14:00 to 16:15 The first workshop will explore the definitional debates around the circular economy with an emphasis on the state of macro scholarship and policy positions adopted by select African governments and civil society actors. Speakers Prof Ester van der Voet – Leiden University & UN International Resource Panel Dr Willi Haas – BOKU, Vienna Bezawit Eshetu – African Circular Economy Network Reniera O’Donnell – Higher Education Lead at Ellen MacArthur Foundation Register here WORKSHOP 2 | 31 August, 14:00 to 16:15 The second workshop will be an exploration of circular economy applications through case studies with an eye on research questions and issues. Speakers Prof Christina Trois – University of KwaZulu-Natal Kirsten Barnes – GreenCape Paul Currie – ICLEI Africa Sudhir Pillay – Water Research Commission Prof Harro von Blottnitz – University of Cape Town Register here These workshops are open to all who are involved in Circular Economy related work and research.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Town is convening an international summit on how the SDGs can best be realised in the African context with an eye on the role of science and mission-driven partnerships. In the build-up to the Summit, a series of workshops are being organised around seven themes, of which the Circular Economy is one. READ THE CONCEPT NOTE HERE WORKSHOP 1 | 17 August, 14:00 to 16:15 The first workshop will explore the definitional debates around the circular economy with an emphasis on the state of macro scholarship and policy positions adopted by select African governments and civil society actors. Speakers Prof Ester van der Voet – Leiden University & UN International Resource Panel Dr Willi Haas – BOKU, Vienna Bezawit Eshetu – African Circular Economy Network Reniera O’Donnell – Higher Education Lead at Ellen MacArthur Foundation Register Closed: WORKSHOP 2 | 31 August, 14:00 to 16:15 The second workshop will be an exploration of circular economy applications through case studies with an eye on research questions and issues. Speakers Prof Christina Trois – University of KwaZulu-Natal Kirsten Barnes – GreenCape Paul Currie – ICLEI Africa Sudhir Pillay – Water Research Commission Prof Harro von Blottnitz – University of Cape Town Register Closed: These workshops are open to all who are involved in Circular Economy related work and research.
A Masterclass alongside the UCT SDG Africa Summit 2021The ACC Masterclass will be structured in three parts, comprised of 75min each. The first session will unpack the political and institutional backstory in ensuring that there was an SDG to address the imperatives of urbanisation, and connections were drawn with other SDGs. The second session will focus on the complexities and contradictions of implementing the SDGs when it is a nexus issue such as urban food security. The analytical focus will fall on the challenge of effective inter-governmental coordination and alignment across scales and sectors. The third session will focus on the practical policy tools that are being deployed at city-level to track the implementation of the SDGs at the local level, considered against the national reporting system of the South African government. This raises institutional questions about fostering a shared perspective when municipal officials remain deeply commitment to sectoral specialisms, as well as issues about alignment and meaningful societal engagement in tracking government performance in delivering on stated commitments. Across the three sessions participants will be exposed to the cutting edges of the interface between applied research and policy implementation. Session 1 | The genesis of SDG 11: Getting the urban onto the agenda10:00 to 11:15Edgar Pieterse (ACC) in conversation with Aromar Revi (Indian Institute for Human Settlements) and Monika Glinzler (International relations, Department of Human Settlements) By some estimates, getting the urban question right is a precondition to achieve up to 70% of the overall SDG agenda. However, until the last hour before the finalisation of the seventeen SDGs, there was great doubt that an explicit urban goal would be included. This session will pull the curtain on the backstage advocacy arguments, evidence and diplomatic work that was conducted to secure an urban perspective across the SDGs. It is a given that the multilateral system is not perfect, but for those on the frontlines of policy mainstreaming, it is indispensable and a permanent site of struggle. Session 2 | Teasing out the tensions: SDGs as a national imperative, and SDG 11 as a city-level goal11:30 to 12:45Gareth Haysom (ACC) in conversation with Jane Battersby (University of Cape Town) and Julian May (University of the Western Cape) The urban food lens offers a unique scalar perspective bringing the tensions and opportunities presented at the intersection between zero hunger (SDG 2), and sustainable cities (SDG 11), as well as health and well-being (3), education (4) and gender equality (5). The session will engage in both the challenges presented at these intersections between nexus and scalar issues, while attempting to engage the complexities and contradictions of implementing and measuring the SDGs when it is a nexus issue such as urban food and nutrition security, and what this might mean in context, but equally, effective inter-governmental coordination and alignment across scales and sectors. Session 3 | Lessons towards SDG localisation and indicators14:00 to 15:15Andrew Tucker (ACC) in conversation with Alexis Schäffler-Thomson (Pegasys) and Natasha Primo (City of Cape Town) It is a given that the SDGs will only find full expression if they become the focus of local action, established within enabling national parameters. There is great potential in using indicator frameworks and monitoring systems to establish productive alignment between national and local governments. This session will share research findings and potential of using local level indicator frameworks to track and reflect on policy efforts to implement the SDGs, whilst being mindful of the statistical challenges of generating local level data. The empirical reference point will be South Africa and Cape Town.
Join MPhil Southern Urbanism programme convenor Dr Anna Selmeczi for an overview of the pedagogical approach, programme structure and entry requirements.
Join the International Society for Urban Health Africa Working Group for the first discussion in the Urban Health in Africa Webinar Series entitled Pairing academia and policy for transdisciplinary research in Africa. SPEAKERS Noxolo Kabane - Deputy Director: Policy Development and Research Coordination, Office of the Premier, Eastern Cape Government Amy Weimann - Junior Research Fellow, African Centre for Cities and PhD Candidate, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town Carlos Dora - President, International Society for Urban Health WHEN | Thursday, 2 December 2021 TIME | 14:00-16:00 GMT REGISTER HERE
Join the African Centre for Cities as we host director M. Reza Shirazi for a screening of his documentary Never Surrender, followed by a discussion on Thursday, 12 May 2022, at 15:00-17:00. This documentary film is the result of more than two years of research and fieldwork in Bayview-Hunters Point neighbourhood, San Francisco. It narrates the community fight for environmental justice, and documents the conflict between people and government over the safety of the shipyard. Decades of remediation work at Hunters Point Shipyard, a former military base contaminated during the Second World War and beyond, were revealed to be fraudulent and data was falsified. This turned the biggest redevelopment project in San Francisco into the biggest eco-fraud case in US history. WHEN | Thursday, 12 May 2022 TIME | 15:00-17:00 VENUE | Pink Room, Lvl 2, Centlivres Building, Upper Campus, UCT
Africa’s cities are amongst the fastest growing in the world and present an unprecedented opportunity to leapfrog unsustainable urban development patterns observed elsewhere. This requires an ability to imagine the innovative possibilities for African cities, and ongoing learning by decision makers to break inertia. This is the first in a series of sessions at Rise Africa aimed at helping city decision makers to reimagine the future infrastructures of Africa’s cities, to bring more innovative and sustainable cities to life. Hosted by the African Centre for Cities and the Urban Futures Studio, this session will generate insights and spark discussion that will inform a new two-year project aimed at fostering learning around infrastructure innovation for sustainable African cities. WHEN | 23 MAY 2022 TIME | 13:00-14:45 (GMT+2) REGISTER HERE
