Latest News + Insights
Welcoming Professor Tom Goodfellow to Manchester
We’re excited to welcome Professor Tom Goodfellow to The University of Manchester to take up a dual role as Professor of Urban Development at the Global Development Institute (GDI) and CEO of the African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC) – a position he will take over from Diana Mitlin in August this year.
Unravelling a complex web: Electricity subsidy experiences in Kampala’s informal settlements
Electricity subsidies may seem like a straightforward solution to the challenge of supplying electricity to Kampala’s informal settlements. However, the contextual realities of the electricity supply chain paints a slightly different story.
Mapping electricity access in Kampala’s informal settlements: Kamyufus, subsidies and community perceptions
Through our research into the electricity supply and distribution value chains in Kampala’s informal settlements, we are trying to learn more about why electricity subsidies fail to reach those in most need – and the alternatives that residents turn to, in order to gain access to power.
Equity and digitisation in the property tax system in Lagos: A win-win for all?
Equitable taxation is about building fairer systems which align with a much-needed path to inclusive urban development. The Lagos property tax system can be improved to facilitate a win-win for all urban residents.
Tackling Freetown’s kush epidemic through action research
Kush is a type of synthetic drug that is widely used by young people in Sierra Leone, especially in the informal settlements of Freetown. It is inexpensive and readily available, making it highly accessible to unemployed and marginalised youth. Its use is associated with a range of harmful effects, including extreme sedation, organ damage and mental health complications.
Podcast: Unpacking housing challenges in African cities
ACRC’s housing domain co-leads Alexandre Apsan Frediani and Ola Uduku join Diana Mitlin for a conversation around housing justice in African cities, drawing on insights from the seven cities studied in their report: Accra, Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Freetown, Lagos, Lilongwe and Nairobi.
Nouvelle étude : Mieux comprendre les dynamiques urbaines et l’arrangement politique de Bukavu
Dans un nouveau rapport de l’ACRC, Emery Mushagalusa Mudinga, Aymar Nyenyezi Bisoka et Philippe Mulumeoderhwa Kaganda examinent comment la politique et les systèmes urbains influencent et sont influencés par les défis du développement urbain à Bukavu dans divers domaines.
New research: Understanding Bukavu’s urban dynamics and political settlement
A new ACRC report by Emery Mushagalusa Mudinga, Aymar Nyenyezi Bisoka and Philippe Mulumeoderhwa Kaganda analyses how politics and urban systems shape urban development challenges in Bukavu.
New research: How political and urban systems shape access to healthy diets in Kampala’s informal settlements
A new ACRC working paper explores the challenges that informal settlement residents in Kampala face in accessing healthy food, the political and systemic issues underpinning these, and potential ways to improve health, wellbeing and nutrition in the city.
Building partnerships in development: What needs to change?
The International Development Committee recently launched an inquiry into the future of the UK’s international aid and development assistance programmes. We believe the design and experiences of ACRC offers important insights and our CEO Diana Mitlin submitted written evidence to the inquiry.
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