African Cities

"It's not our data as SDI, it's not ACRC data, it's not their data. It's the community's data. So you have to have that understanding that, at the end of the day, it has to benefit the community." In this episode, Miriam Maina talks to Charity Mumbi and Jane Wairutu from SDI-Kenya about community-led mapping and data collection, participatory planning processes,...

"Lagos is a city of migrants… migrants are shaping the city in ways that are evolving per day. We are where we are now as a city through the action of migrants. And, more recently, we find that the actions of migrants are changing the spatial configurations of the city, determining some of the political narratives and political ideologies as well as political practices around the city; that t...

What opportunities does urbanisation present for people living in African cities? How much does it really contribute to the economy? And what wider advantages can it have for rural dwellers? In our latest podcast episode, Philipp Heinrigs – head of unit at the OECD – talks to Stephen Gelb about the recent Africa’s Urbanisation Dynamics 2022 report, delving deeper into the key findings and what the...

"A project comes, a project leaves. The community will always remain. But now, what do you leave in that community?" In this episode, Miriam Maina talks to Eva Muchiri and Nicera Wanjiru from Muungano wa Wanavijiji – the Kenyan federation of slum dwellers – about data collection and mapping, the importance of communities in driving research agendas and outcomes, and the legacy that progr...

What is ACRC’s research in Freetown all about? How does housing connect with land, youth employment and the rising costs of imported materials? How do political systems both help and hinder meaningful change? What attention is paid to informal settlements ? Does the government’s agenda intersect with residents’ needs, and where are the gaps? And how can these gaps be explored and understood, to dr...

In this episode, Amani Abou-Zeid – African Union Commissioner in charge of infrastructure, energy and ICT – talks to ACRC's city of systems lead Seth Schindler about energy security and infrastructural development in Africa. They reflect on Africa's energy "evolution" in relation to climate change, why integration is key to bridging the continent's infrastructure gap, the...

Since the start of the African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC), we’ve been interested in trying to create more equitable partnerships and processes through the process. The rupture of the Covid-19 pandemic provided us with some opportunities, plus added impetus following reflections within the sector catalysed by the Black Lives Matter movement. From the outset, we’ve been exploring ways in whic...

Despite gender equality policies at the national level in many African countries, there are persistent gender-based disparities, inequalities and exclusions faced by many women, particularly among low-income urban residents. And while urbanisation may offer greater opportunities for women – for example, in employment, access to services and changes in social and household dynamics – this is not al...

Collaborations between academia and grassroots organisations are not without tensions and power imbalances. For low-income urban communities, engaging with academics may mean enduring disqualification of their knowledge. Systematic reflection and assessment are key to preventing or reverting this. ACRC’s research approach integrates these notions to build strong, horizontal collaborations with a d...

In this episode, Urban Action Lab founder Shuaib Lwasa talks to ACRC’s co-research director Seth Schindler about "unlearning" mainstream urban planning, ways to scale up micro-level innovations to drive transformation in African cities, and how coproducing knowledge goes beyond just empowering research participants. Shuaib Lwasa is professor of urban sustainability at Makerere University...

In most African cities, more than half of the population live in informal settlements . Residents often lack basic services and infrastructure, also facing unsafe housing and insecure tenure. Yet upgrading informal settlements is complex and can be contentious. While some successful models have been developed, too little upgrading has taken place in African cities, existing upgrading has lacked af...