Pan African Research College on Sustainable Cities

The Pan-African Research College on Sustainable Cities is a collaborative development with five African Universities, funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung. Thirteen excellent junior researchers will be further qualified at the doctoral and post-doctoral level at five African universities in three countries. They are offered a variety of networking opportunities to build a new generation of African decision-makers.

The thematic focus on urbanisation and sustainable urban planning links scientists from different disciplines and strengthens Pan-African research collaborations. The College focusses on finding solutions to the challenges that African cities are currently facing and will be facing on an increasing basis in the future. The aim of the college is to mobilise researchers from different disciplines related to sustainable cities. These include experts from fields like town and city planning, environmental sciences, social sciences and architecture. Fellows and university staff will meet regularly for three annual fellow workshops around the Pan-African continent.

ACC hosts a Postdoctoral research Martin Magidi and a PhD candidate Alicia Fortuin who are both undertaking original and creative research on urban sprawl and land use dynamics in Cape Town and the implications for transforming Cape Town into a more equitable and sustainable city. This includes examining the dynamics of formal and informal urban growth, and the implications of current and alternative growth dynamics for households and for urban governance.