Latest News + Insights
What lessons can we learn from Covid-19 responses in African cities?
For low-income residents in African cities, the Covid-19 pandemic has often been experienced less as a health crisis and more in terms of the devastating socioeconomic, political and violent impacts arising from lockdown measures and other responses.
Postdoc Profile: Smith Ouma
Smith Ouma talks about his focus on rights-based approaches to development, his work as part of ACRC’s informal settlements domain, and why he’s excited to be part of the consortium.
ACRC Harare team engages city council in an uptake-related session
ACRC’s research activities in Harare have gone up a gear following an interim workshop hosted in March this year and, more recently, an uptake meeting with City of Harare officials.
Understanding Covid-19 responses: Political settlements and community initiatives
Two new working papers, produced under the Covid Collective, explore and compare the politics and social and economic impacts of Covid-19 as it evolved in three East African capital cities and its legacy in terms of possibilities for positive and lasting change.
Insights on knowledge co-production from Harare, Zimbabwe
Collaborations between academia and grassroots organisations are not without tensions and power imbalances. For urban low-income communities, engaging with academics may mean enduring disqualification of their knowledge.
Creating sustainable growth and reducing poverty through structural transformation
Structural transformation involves the movement of workers from low- and labour-intensive productivity sectors to high-productivity sectors.
Reflections from Nairobi: ACRC’s first consortium-wide workshop
It has been an exciting month for the African Cities Research Consortium, as members from across the consortium met together in person for the first time in Nairobi.
Enhancing livelihoods in urban neighbourhoods and districts
More than 80% of urban workers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) work in the informal sector, according to the ILO. Most work in household microenterprises (HMEs), informal businesses employing the entrepreneur either alone, or together with members of their household.
Addressing the drivers of urban insecurity
Many residents of African cities are vulnerable to widespread manifestations of violence, including crime, political and ethnically motivated intimidation, and threats to property, both housing and land rights. These residents thus feel insecure, due to the risk of personal and communal harm and loss or damage to property.
Postdoc Profile: Matthew Sharp
Matthew Sharp talks about his research background, his interest in zoning regulations and land use policies, and the importance of economics within urban planning.
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