Latest News & Insights
Invisibilising African cities and their populations
How do you plan, manage and govern a city with no data about most of the population, most enterprises, most workers, most housing and often most land transactions and land use changes?
Partner Spotlight: The University of Manchester
One of the world’s leading research institutions, The University of Manchester is dedicated to advancing the sustainable development goals through its research, education, public engagement and responsible campus operations. The University is the lead partner in the African Cities Research Consortium, with operations based out of the Global Development Institute (GDI), part of the School of Environment, Education and Development (SEED).
Getting to know Africa’s 100 largest cities
This blog considers what we know about Africa’s 100 largest cities – responding to the third blog in this series, which looked at what we don’t know. This is with a particular focus on the drivers and other influences that shape contemporary urban change.
What we don’t know about Africa’s 100 largest cities
This is the first of four blogs, considering what we know (and don’t know) about Africa’s 100 largest cities. Also to come are blogs on the thousands of urban centres that are not in the 100 largest city list.
Community mapping in Kenya improves state Covid-19 response
This case study – originally published as part of the Covid Collective Research for Policy and Practice series – shows how an urban social movement was able to produce the knowledge that state agencies needed when the pandemic struck, securing more inclusive policy responses and building legitimacy for alternative knowledge processes and associated development ambitions.
African cities from 500 AD to 1900
Most large African cities today were already well-established when colonial rule began to expand dramatically in the late 19th century. Most preceded the slave trade era too. This blog outlines the history of cities in Africa from 500 AD up to the late 19th century.
What are the largest cities in Africa – today and in 1800?
We know relatively little about most of Africa’s pre-colonial urban history and the role of its cities. This is something especially pronounced in sub-Saharan Africa.
Valuing water in the Global South
To mark World Water Day 2021, Diana Mitlin, Professor of Global Urbanism at The University of Manchester’s Global Development Institute, discusses the issues the Global South face when it comes to accessing clean water.
Webinar: an introduction to the African Cities Research Consortium
Catch up on our webinar introducing the African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC) and outlining how the Consortium and its international partners are planning to tackle complex, political and systemic problems in some of Africa’s fastest-growing urban areas.
Participatory urban planning in action
In Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, local SDI groups have played a critical role in making participatory planning a reality.
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