The Future of Urban Policy in Africa. Localization of SDG 11 and the New Urban Agenda

Abstract

African continent is rapidly urbanizing. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda (NUA) can help guide better urbanization outcomes. The structural and transformative urban change in Africa will be shaped by the way in which countries embrace and localize international urban development agenda. By committing to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable in the Sustainable Development Goals 11, UN member States marked a net difference from the adaptation of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Rio + 20, SDGs and the New Urban Agenda (NUA). Urbanization is now recognized as one of the key levers of socio-economic transformation of which urban planning will play a critical role. This global acknowledgement was manifested by the adoption of the New Urban Agenda at the Habitat III conference in Quito in 2016. Urbanization in Africa has presented several challenges such as congestion, urbanization of poverty, rise of informality and complexities in urban management. This chapter analyses and presents the impact and potential of localizing international urban development agenda in African countries. We reviewed various reports and cases from Africa to uncover the renewed urban planning mandate and interest stemming from recently adopted urban development programmes. We paid attention to the contribution of the NUA to address urbanization challenges in Africa. The role of urban planning in the global development agenda and the possible approaches of localizing them in African context is presented using entry points of urban policies, and urban and territorial planning are also assessed with a view to promote sustainable urbanization.