A new publication by the African Urban Research Initiative has been published by Routledge Studies in Cities and Development series.
Reframing the Urban Challenge in Africa: Knowledge Co-production from the South edited by Ntombini Marrengane and Sylvia Croese, explores the changing dynamics and challenges behind the rapid expanse of Africa’s urban population.
Drawing on the work of the African Urban Research Initiative, this book brings together contributions from local researchers investigating key themes and challenges within their own contexts. An important example of urban knowledge co-production, the book demonstrates the regional diversity that can be seen as the main feature of African urbanism, with even well-accepted concepts such as informality manifesting in markedly different ways from place to place.
Bookended by an introduction and conclusion by Sylvia Croese, the nest two consecutive chapters explores aspects on the formal/informal interface in Lusaka, Zambia and three cities Egypt respectively. Chapter 4 looks at land sharing as a sustainable approach to tenure security in Kiandutu informal settlement in Thika town, Kenya, while Chapter 5 draws together lessons on urban infrastructure and inequality in Johannesburg and Cairo. Mitigating the effects of climate change and rebuilding cities after conflict is explores in Chapters 6 and 7 respectively.
Providing an important nuanced perspective on the heterogeneity of African cities and the challenges they face, this book will be an important resource for researchers across development studies, African studies, and urban studies.