How to tackle complex problems in African cities?

With Diana Miltin (GDI), Shuaib Lwasa (ISS), Victoria Beard (Cornell).

Africa’s urban populations are set to double over the next 25 years, reaching 1 billion people by 2040, but residents remain frustrated about the lack of development opportunities. The political underpinnings of both urban opportunity and neglect sit alongside a significant lack of investment in urban systems and inadequate technical responses in the context of economic and spatial informality.

ACRC is a £32 million six-year investment by FCDO to understand how to programme better in African cities. Working with over 100 experts, mostly from Africa, the GDI is coordinating this initiative to initiate new perspectives on longstanding development challenges, exploring how the urban reform frontier can be shifted forward in 12 focus cities.

Research to date highlights the ongoing importance of urban political economy and the self-interest of both national and urban political elites. We have found that there are multiple insecurities experienced by many residents, and particularly by young people. Economic development opportunities are inadequate, and housing and public services are lacking for existing populations and unable to improve quickly enough for the growing population. While many cities should now be benefiting from new policies to upgrade informal settlements and improve living conditions, for a majority of urban residents these political commitments are not resulting in improvements on the ground.

Yet committed and passionate urban reformers, can be found across all cities – working in local government, organising local communities, creating business opportunities or researching solutions. One question we’re now trying to answer is how urban reform coalitions can be nurtured to tackle systemic, political problems within African cities. This event will draw upon different perspectives to summarise ACRC findings so far and the potential action research interventions we will pursue in the next phase.

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