Sustainable Cities in the Global South: Lessons from the African Continent

Abstract

A watershed moment occurred in 2008 when, for the first time in human history, most of the global population could be categorized as residing in urban areas. Contributing to this remarkable transition has been the rapid population growth in cities of Africa. Natural increase and rural to urban migration patterns throughout Africa have resulted in striking rates of urbanization across the continent. Such rapid growth in urban population has fostered awareness for the need to address such development in a sustainable fashion. A regional approach to understanding the needs and addressing the issues of sustainable urban development provides opportunity to examine best practices of generating sustainability through twenty-first century efforts of planning and governance. Examination of cities as case studies affords meaningful cross-cultural context and better opportunity to identify transformational practices in policy and planning. Cities selected for examination in this research are noted for their pioneering and dynamic approaches to planning. Linking economic expansion with social equity and environmental protection, such cities may well serve as global vanguards in a new urban era.