Latest News + Insights
New research: Pathways towards inclusive urbanisation in Nairobi
Nairobi is central to the Kenyan economy, as a key political battleground and a hub for business networks and national and transnational trade. Yet it faces an increasingly complex set of socioeconomic, health and spatial inequalities.
Magicians, powerbrokers and workhorses: The keys to structural transformation in African cities
Structural transformation involves the movement of workers from low-productivity to high-productivity sectors – often from agriculture to manufacturing and services – and is a necessary condition for sustained economic growth.
Reflections on my time in Manchester as an ACRC Visiting Writer
The African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC) Visiting Writers Scheme provides young African scholars in the consortium with the invaluable opportunity to develop their writing and researching skills, through four weeks of mentorship from a senior researcher at a supporting institute.
Lessons from Africa – for Manchester
A recent conference on African Urbanism has provided a useful space for me to reflect on what the African experience has brought to my work and that of my colleagues. This has included academic scholarship, professional and policy engagement and activism. Given their potential to improve development in Manchester and the role the University plays in this, two lessons are immediately worth sharing.
Podcast: Why do land brokers matter in African cities?
ACRC’s land and connectivity domain lead Tom Goodfellow is joined by Abdifatah Tahir from Mogadishu and Eria Serwajja and Muhamed Lunyago from Kampala for a conversation around the role of land brokers in urban land markets in African cities.
Life after dark in Lagos: How streetlighting could boost safety and socioeconomic activities
As Africa’s most populous city – with a current population of over 25 million – Lagos is not alone in having a public infrastructure shortfall. When it comes to streetlighting in particular, Lagos has an extreme deficit.
Collaborations and shared learning: Reflections on ACRC’s conceptual framework and theory of change in Kampala
ACRC’s Kampala city team recently embarked on a reflective journey, dissecting the theory of change and conceptual framework that underpin ACRC’s transformative work in African cities.
New research: Mapping Dar es Salaam’s urban development trajectory
Dar es Salaam is Tanzania’s socioeconomic and political powerhouse, but faces numerous urban development challenges. A new ACRC report examines these challenges through several thematic lenses.
ACRC city managers convene to review action research progress
ACRC held its second city managers meeting in Accra, Ghana from 11-15 November 2024. The five-day engagement convened a total of 15 delegates, including ACRC’s senior management team (SMT), city managers and representatives from the operations and research uptake teams.
Why do we need a “new development partnership”?
Demands for equitable development partnerships are not new, but the Black Lives Matter movement has undoubtedly amplified calls for systemic change in the sector, which are making some progress.
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