Neighbourhood and district economic development
The majority of African urban residents live and work in informal settlements, engaged in small-scale, often home-based economic activities. Earnings from these activities are typically low and precarious, with informal moneylenders providing vital services to residents, but usually on exploitative terms.
Some residents work beyond their neighbourhood, through their own microenterprises or employed by larger businesses, which tend to be more stable, regularised and with better established markets. However, due to unreliable infrastructure services and limited benefits of co-location in African cities, there are few such firms, so their contribution to poverty reduction and structural transformation is limited.
Looking through ACRC’s political economy lens, neighbourhood and district economic development reflects the distribution of economic and land rent in the local economy. City systems need to be mobilised so that enterprises can function smoothly. The living standards of the urban poor in these neighbourhoods could therefore be improved by strengthening city economies, generating “decent work” opportunities and boosting entrepreneurial skills. This involves a wide range of key actors, including economic development agencies, business/trade associations, informal business networks, trade unions and other labour organisations, and local politicians.
Within the neighbourhood and district economic development domain, we are focusing on the following cities:
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Analysis of urban reform coalitions awarded best 2024 paper by Area Development and Policy
ACRC’s CEO, Diana Mitlin, has been awarded the best paper of 2024 by Area Development and Policy for “The contribution of reform coalitions to inclusion and equity: lessons from urban social movements”.
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New research: Are reform coalitions the key to more inclusive urban housing in Africa?
By 2050, it is projected that African cities will become home to an additional 950 million people – all of whom will need housing. A new ACRC report outlines findings from the housing domain research, which was implemented in seven African cities.
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New research: Overcoming systemic barriers facing young people in African cities
A new ACRC paper presents research into the challenges facing young people as they transition to adulthood in five African cities: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Freetown; Sierra Leone; Kampala, Uganda; Maiduguri, Nigeria; and Mogadishu, Somalia.