Header photo credit: Chris Jordan

Note: This article presents the views of the authors featured and does not necessarily represent the views of the African Cities Research Consortium as a whole.

The African Cities blog is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which means you are welcome to repost this content as long as you provide full credit and a link to this original post.

The University of Manchester has recently advertised a new role – which involves taking over as CEO of the African Cities Research Consortium. In this blog post, our current CEO, Professor Diana Mitlin reflects on her own career, experiences and what comes next.

Like it or not, the truth is that I am very much at the end of my career. I am still puzzling out what a creative, fruitful and satisfying retirement will look like, but in the meantime, I’m trying to work out what it means to make a socially responsible transition into retirement. I’m using this blog post to help figure that out – but also to explain why we are currently looking for new CEO for ACRC.

Everyone tells me that you have to begin by creating space. That is an unusual activity for me. My professional life has been a whirlwind for 45 years.

Thinking back

My focus on urban development emerged accidentally from my interest in social justice and social movements. As I began work at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) in 1990, the issue that really caught my interest and commitment was the potential to work with organised informal settlement residents. Initially, I was working with the organisations that became the founders of Slum Dwellers International (SDI), the Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centers (SPARC) and the National Slum Dwellers Federation in India, People’s Dialogue and the South African Homeless People’s Federation. 

I have learned much from my engagement with SDI. On one level, I have learned an immense about housing, infrastructure, services and land. On another, I have learned about the tools of grassroots organising, and about savings, data collection, mapping and federating. On a third level, I have learned about silence and speech, representation and presentation, alliance building and knowledge co-production.

The processes of collaboration between grassroots organisations, federations and their support NGOs have also been important opportunities. The role that the support professionals play – in raising funds, documenting lessons, building links with academics and officials, providing technical assistance (and in my case financial analysis), predicting the next generation of learning needs for federations, developing options so that they don’t get stuck but are able to move through obstacles and achieve the next level – is critical.

These have all been vital experiences to share. Also important has been seeing how governments open up possibilities for reform as political commitments change – and how those openings are not always well used. If academic and NGO innovations are not there to take a commitment into practice with specific workable ideas, if officials have not been well trained and are not aware of what greater participation might look like (for example), and if flexible funds are not available to support experimentation… Then these potentials can be lost.

These experiences have helped me understand the significance of the academy as a place to nurture new ideas and change agents.

Leading the African Cities Research Consortium

GDI’s strapline is a reasonable summary of what I have been motivated and inspired and supported by in my working life: Critical thinking and social justice. 

The chance to invest in change makers or urban reformers – be they located in the North or South, government or non-government, academic researcher or non-academic researcher – is hugely fulfilling. It is an honour and an inspiration to work with this team, and I have to struggle to keep up!

Engaging with the next generation is a constant pleasure. I work with a group of younger colleagues – some are early career researchers, others are in the middle of their careers – each thinking about the best steps as they go forward. All want to add value to their work and working with these individuals is one of the most rewarding things that I do. They are curious about what my generation have learned, and why these were our learning stories. But they are also putting together their own understanding of the world, drawing on the embeddedness in what is contemporary and thinking hard about what this means – in terms of obstacles that may be forthcoming, as well as ways in which cities may be made more just, more inclusive and work better for all urban residents. They are every bit as committed as we were, and fundamentally they offer reasons for hope that permeate the everyday in informal neighbourhoods, council offices and academic seminars.

What’s needed?

So, who would be well suited to pick up the ACRC baton?

Unusually, the University is offering this post as either a Professor of Urban Development, or as a Professor of Practice in Urban Development. This means that role can be undertaken by either a senior academic with extensive experience of working with policy actors and practitioners on urban development or someone with extensive operational experience in urban development policy and practice who has a strong research profile and grasp of current debates in the field; this includes candidates who have worked for non-governmental organisations, international aid agencies, and research-based civil society organisations. As you would expect, we have a job description here.

I feel that the role needs someone who embraces contradiction. ACRC is using development assistance, based in a Northern organisation, whilst also be seeking to challenge exclusionary development practice, including via the overly dominant roles of academics and professionals. ACRC is as much a paradox as the urban realities it seems to change. It needs someone who is ready to engage with those contradictions, seeing them as much as a solution as a problem – as the grain of sand in the oyster that turns into a pearl.

Someone who is very grounded in the work of movements to change things on the ground. Some see those as political movements, but ACRC is as concerned with nascent emerging movements that involve the everyday political, as with groups in open confrontation and contestation that so frequently results in a dead end.

Someone who is familiar with the academic spaces and with the practice of asserting that academic knowledge is at the top of the knowledge hierarchy. Someone who is comfortable playing with those ways of seeing the world, who can use academia to disrupt, to legitimate and to change the playing field on which discourse takes place.

But also someone who recognises the importance of ideas in defining trajectories of change. Who can write academic papers and capture that space. But who also sees the limitations of such knowledge.

Someone who has experience navigating the context of decolonisation. Who is deeply committed to creating space to challenge epistemologies, methodologies, academic practices of doing research, and the financial flows embedded in the development assistance system. And who has the ability to craft collectives that are able to navigate a route through tensions, conundrums and frustrations to deliver change.

How will it work?

The plan is that the new CEO and I will work an overlap for at least six months, and possibly a year, depending on when the newly appointed person is able to begin. The first six months will likely be a structured induction, which will be fine-tuned to the expertise of the person we appoint. If we have time beyond the six months, then we will co-design a plan for the work that reflects the needs of the project and the capabilities of the new appointee and myself.

From August 2026, I plan to be on sabbatical for a year. I will be focused on writing up the experiences of ACRC over this period, although I am not sure exactly what form that writing will take at the moment. In terms ACRC leadership beyond this, I will be available as needed, but will not be building in any role for myself. I feel the new CEO has to take control, so to speak, and any ongoing function I might play is very much for them to determine.

I’m sure that people will have many questions, queries and reflections about the plan we are putting in place. Over the next few weeks, the ACRC team will be gathering questions for an ‘Ask Me Anything’ podcast that I’ll be recording. Please ask me anything you like though ACRC’s social media, or via africancities@manchester.ac.uk.

Photo credits: ACRC

Note: This article presents the views of the authors featured and does not necessarily represent the views of the African Cities Research Consortium as a whole.

The African Cities blog is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which means you are welcome to repost this content as long as you provide full credit and a link to this original post.

Header photo credit: Hannah van Rooyen. ACRC’s consortium-wide meeting in Nairobi.

Note: This article presents the views of the author featured and does not necessarily represent the views of the African Cities Research Consortium as a whole.

The African Cities blog is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which means you are welcome to repost this content as long as you provide full credit and a link to this original post.

We’re hiring! Could you be our new Head of Project Delivery?

Could you provide inspiring leadership and direction for our research projects (including action research) in some of Africa’s fastest growing urban areas? Are you experienced in designing and managing international development projects? Do you have a commitment to driving positive urban change in African cities? Read on to find out more about this unique and exciting new opportunity at the African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC).

ACRC is a £32.1 million programme, funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), to transform approaches to urban development programming, in order to reduce poverty and secure prosperity. Led by the Global Development Institute at The University of Manchester, ACRC is conducting policy-oriented research, generating new evidence to catalyse integrated, sustainable and inclusive approaches to urban development in Africa.

This an exciting point at which to join ACRC, as we move into our implementation phase (2023-26). We are looking for a Head of Project Delivery who can provide strategic direction, coordination and advice to all in this diverse research partnership, related to the ambitious design, development and implementation of action research and research projects.

The post holder will be a key member of the ACRC operations group, working with the Operations Manager to ensure that both this group and associated research activities make the greatest possible contribution to the programme’s aims and objectives. They will work closely with diverse international project partners, and with a wide range of African researchers and professionals within and beyond the consortium. The role is likely to involve overseas travel and participation in numerous events and activities in the UK, overseas and virtually.

To find out more and to apply, please see the full listing via The University of Manchester’s job portal.

Deadline extended to 15 September 2022

Informal inquiries may be made to ACRC’s CEO, Professor Diana Mitlin.

Header photo credit: Hannah van Rooyen. ACRC’s consortium-wide meeting in Nairobi.

Note: This article presents the views of the author featured and does not necessarily represent the views of the African Cities Research Consortium as a whole.

The African Cities blog is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which means you are welcome to repost this content as long as you provide full credit and a link to this original post.

Tell us a bit about your background…

I grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, where I studied architecture at The University of Lagos. This raised my curiosity about the urban environment, motivating me to undertake a master’s degree in urban planning at The University of Manchester and subsequently a PhD in urban planning and international development at Cardiff University. I was particularly keen to study urban planning in the United Kingdom as the planning systems in Nigeria and many other African countries have British origins.

After my PhD, I returned to the University of Lagos as a lecturer and in 2018, I took a position as a postdoctoral researcher at the African Centre for Cities at the University of Cape Town. A key lesson I have learnt over the years and which I am passionate to communicate through my work is the vital importance of understanding, learning from and adapting to the realities on the ground when thinking about African cities – rather than having an overreliance on foreign perspectives.

How would you explain your research to a friend or family member?

My research fundamentally seeks to understand how and why the majority of African urban residents are largely excluded from available economic opportunities, whilst only a small section benefit. This situation can be seen in the high levels of inequality and fragmentation evident in many African cities. More specifically, my research explores the experiences of the numerous residents of informal settlements and those working in the informal economy, such as street traders, waste-pickers, small-scale tailors, hairdressers and roadside mechanical services – who are a dominant feature of many African cities – and examining their largely negative experiences and non-inclusion in urban and economic plans. My work seeks to understand the challenges they face and propose ways in which their work can be better appreciated, included and scaled up to make a valuable contribution to the local economy – whilst continuing to provide important employment and livelihood opportunities to a large share of the urban population.

What does your role within ACRC entail?

As part of ACRC, I belong to the neighbourhood and district economic development domain, where I have the opportunity to contribute to research on household microenterprises (HMEs). These are informal businesses employing the entrepreneur either alone, or together with members of their household, and for which the home often plays an important role in the enterprise’s activities. Some key objectives of the domain include examining how HMEs’ productivity and profitability can be increased, how they can become more economically viable as businesses, and how they can build resilience to climate change and environmental disaster.

I am also conducting my own research on urban displacements cutting across evictions from informal settlements and markets in Lagos, Nigeria. Specifically, I am investigating the factors that underlie such displacements and their effects on low-income residents who are often the most affected – including how they cope in the aftermath of such evictions, and how they can better organise to communicate to authorities the challenges that displacements pose to their lives and livelihoods.

“What particularly excites me about this research fellowship is the focus of ACRC to inform better decisionmaking by urban policymakers and reformers in Africa, based on an understanding of the political economy of individual cities and partnership with local actors on the ground.”

What are you finding most interesting about your work with ACRC so far? What are you most excited about?

What I have found most interesting so far is the opportunity to engage with various prominent scholars on African urban development as well as interact directly with specialists based across a variety of African cities, who provide first hand updates on happenings across diverse contexts. What particularly excites me about this research fellowship is the focus of ACRC to inform better decisionmaking by urban policymakers and reformers in Africa, based on an understanding of the political economy of individual cities and partnership with local actors on the ground. This is because political and economic factors play a major role in urban decisionmaking, especially in Africa, yet they are often inadequately considered and local actors are vital to understanding important contextual peculiarities that can hinder change. Therefore, I find this combined focus of ACRC particularly exciting.

In fewer than five words, what one issue do you think needs to be prioritised to improve urban development in African cities?

Better inclusion of disadvantaged communities.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I enjoy spending time with family and friends, listening to music and engaging in sports.

Note: This article presents the views of the author featured and does not necessarily represent the views of the African Cities Research Consortium as a whole.

The African Cities blog is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which means you are welcome to repost this content as long as you provide full credit and a link to this original post.

Tell us a bit about your background…

My name is Patience Adzande and I was born and raised in Nigeria. I obtained a PhD in urban and regional planning from the Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria in 2017. During my PhD study, I received the Dissertation Research Fellowship (2013) and the Dissertation Completion Fellowship Award (2014) from the Social Science Research Council’s (SSRC) Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa programme. In 2017, I also received the SSRC’s African Peacebuilding Network grant to conduct research on farmer-herder conflicts in Central Nigeria.

Before joining ACRC, I was a lecturer at the Benue State University. My research interest in crime and the built environment was motivated by the works of Jane Jacobs and Oscar Newman. However, my decision to focus on broader issues of human security became imperative with increasing conflict and violence in rural and urban areas of Nigeria. Currently, my research focuses on the influence of the built environment on crime patterns; residents’ experiences of safety and (in)security in cities; informal policing in cities; the role of conflict/violence in re-configuring urban spaces and shaping lived experiences in cities; the lived experiences of internally displaced people (IDPs) in non-camp situations; and farmer-herder conflicts in Nigeria.

How would you explain your research to a friend or family member?

My research focuses on the spatial dynamics of crime and violence in cities from an urban planning perspective and at contestations over natural resources in rural areas of Nigeria; looking at:

• How different kinds of spaces influence the occurrence or clustering of crime, and enhance perceptions of safety;
• Why certain urban spaces are safer than others;
• How urban spaces are re-configured by conflicts or violence and how the lives of city residents are (re)shaped by violence – in terms of residential location choices, decisions on intra-urban mobility and perceptions of the “other”;
• Rural insecurity in Central Nigeria, with particular emphasis on farmer-herder conflicts and its attendant consequences;
• The lived experiences of urban displaced persons – particularly focusing on their ability (agency) to navigate their new environments.

I focus on human security because safety and security are central to the attainment of liveable and inclusive cities. With the forecasts suggesting that Africa is fast becoming an urban continent, it has become necessary to intensify research on safety and security, to contribute to the development of policies and planning interventions that will make African cities safe for all.

What does your role within ACRC entail?

As a postdoctoral fellow attached to ACRC’s safety and security domain, I’ll work with the domain leads, city leads and other team members to sharpen the focus of the domain’s research in the selected cities, also ensuring that the workplans and themes are synchronised and aligned. I’ll also liaise with and provide support to the city research leads and projects, and contribute knowledge based on my past experiences of conducting research on human security issues. I will also be contributing to the academic aspect of the research by conducting literature reviews on relevant research themes and writing academic articles, blog posts and reports – and possibly featuring in podcasts to support uptake and dissemination of our work.

“I’m happy to be a part of a team committed to contributing to policy formulation, through generating evidence-based knowledge on African cities.”

What are you finding most interesting about your work with ACRC so far? What are you most excited about?

What I’m finding most interesting in my work with ACRC so far is gaining new knowledge – especially using political settlements as an analytical framework for critical urban development issues, observing the research that the other postdoctoral fellows are conducting, and learning more about (and looking forward to visiting) other African cities covered by ACRC. I’m happy to be a part of a team committed to contributing to policy formulation, through generating evidence-based knowledge on African cities.

The opportunity that ACRC has provided for me to meet and work with scholars that I would ordinarily only read about in the literature is something I’m excited about – particularly having the chance to work with Paula Meth, who will serve as my mentor during the period of the fellowship. Working with ACRC also affords me the opportunity to actualise my dream of expanding the scope of my research beyond Nigeria to other African cities.

In fewer than five words, what one issue do you think needs to be prioritised to improve urban development in African cities?

Safety and security.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I enjoy watching movies and spending quality time with friends and family.

Note: This article presents the views of the author featured and does not necessarily represent the views of the African Cities Research Consortium as a whole.

The African Cities blog is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which means you are welcome to repost this content as long as you provide full credit and a link to this original post.

Tell us a bit about your background…

I did my undergraduate and postgraduate studies in sociology and development studies at Addis Ababa University (AAU), and I also have an MSc in urban management and development from the Institute of Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS). I then worked as an academic project coordinator and a lecturer at Ethiopian public universities, before deciding to pursue my education further, and was awarded a PhD in planning and environmental management from The University of Manchester. Since finishing my PhD, I have been working at The University of Manchester in different capacities – previously as a course unit lecturer, GCRF visiting postdoctoral fellow and most recently as a research associate in the African Cities Research Consortium. 

How would you explain your research to a friend or family member?

My research focuses on critically understanding the political processes shaping urban development. Conventional urban planning is presented as an apolitical and technical process, used to efficiently organise modern cities. Yet in practice, it prioritises the interests of political and business elites, while marginalising the majority urban poor, especially in the global South. But these marginalised groups are not passive victims of the process; they strategise to survive and expand their opportunities. So, my research broadly focuses on understanding the political and economic forces that adversely affect urban poor communities and how they respond to their exclusion. I also want my research to contribute to the efforts of these groups in challenging their marginalisation. For example, my GCRF-funded postdoctoral research – influenced by Slum Dwellers International – facilitated women-led, saving-based social organisation and participatory research in one of Addis Ababa’s inner-city settlements.

What does your role within ACRC entail?

Within ACRC, I have a dual responsibility. First, I am responsible for supporting the research on crosscutting themes (finance, gender and climate change) and other broad aspects of ACRC work. Second, I am also working on my own research project, which compares and contrasts how informal settlement residents mobilise and strategise to improve their housing and living conditions in Harare and Addis Ababa. The study aims to capture how social organisations of informal settlement residents capitalise on the political opportunities and minimise threats from their respective governments, in their effort to improve their housing and living conditions.

“My research broadly focuses on understanding the political and economic forces that adversely affect urban poor communities and how they respond to their exclusion. I also want my research to contribute to the efforts of these groups in challenging their marginalisation.”

What are you finding most interesting about your work with ACRC so far? What are you most excited about?

The most exciting thing about my fellowship at ACRC is the opportunity of collaborating with accomplished and emerging researchers in their field. For an early career researcher, such as myself, ACRC provides an ideal platform for learning, building networks and expanding my research scope. Working within such a transdisciplinary research environment allows me to expand my analytical lens and adopt a comparative research approach, while the mentorship scheme within my fellowship will help me shape my academic career strategically. Last but not least, working alongside young and enthusiastic ACRC fellows is great for building collegiality and we all help to motivate each other.

In a few words, what one issue do you think needs to be prioritised to improve urban development in African cities?

Planning with, not against, disadvantaged communities.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I enjoy walking/hiking, reading books and socialising with friends, along with watching movies, TV shows and documentaries in my spare time.

Note: This article presents the views of the author featured and does not necessarily represent the views of the African Cities Research Consortium as a whole.

The African Cities blog is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which means you are welcome to repost this content as long as you provide full credit and a link to this original post.

Tell us a bit about your background…

My background is in law. I lectured and practised law in Kenya prior to undertaking my PhD, which I recently completed at Cardiff University. My research is transdisciplinary, focusing on rights-based approaches to development, particularly integrating participation in urban governance. I am also interested in understanding how land in the city can be unlocked to provide for the needs of the city’s inhabitants, especially the most vulnerable and marginalised groups.

How would you explain your research to a friend or family member?

I examine the institutions and actors that play key roles in shaping the outlook of our cities. My research identifies the instances where, and the reasons why, these actors come together to explore solutions to urban challenges, and the interventions they devise to tackle the identified challenges. I am particularly keen on exploring the visions for change these actors project – are they inclusive of the inhabitants of marginalised urban neighbourhoods? And what do they mean for access to land and basic services in informal settlements?

What does your role within ACRC entail?

At ACRC, I support the work of the informal settlements domain. The domain seeks to understand the political economy and politics of informal settlement development. We aim to understand the growth trajectories of informal settlements in African cities and to examine the drivers of their growth. We also explore the ways in which organised communities seek to address the needs of informal settlements at the city scale. I will also work on my individual project, which examines the urban governance interventions that have been rolled out in Nairobi in the periods between 1980-2022.

“It is interesting to see how ACRC is building strong, horizontal collaborations with a diverse range of research partners and how the process makes a conscious effort to centre the voices of marginalised urban communities.”

What are you finding most interesting about your work with ACRC so far? What are you most excited about?

ACRC brings together expertise from various institutions and African countries. It is interesting to see how ACRC is building strong, horizontal collaborations with a diverse range of research partners and how the process makes a conscious effort to centre the voices of marginalised urban communities. I am also excited to work with and learn from an incredible team of urbanists who are working together to tackle complex problems in Africa’s rapidly urbanising cities.

In fewer than five words, what one issue do you think needs to be prioritised to improve urban development in African cities?

Democratising urban governance.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

When the weather is good, you will find me going for a walk, a run in the park, or spending time outdoors with friends. I love watching insightful documentaries and reading a good book.

Note: This article presents the views of the author featured and does not necessarily represent the views of the African Cities Research Consortium as a whole.

The African Cities blog is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which means you are welcome to repost this content as long as you provide full credit and a link to this original post.

Tell us a bit about your background…

Originally from South Africa, where I was based until my postgraduate studies, I completed a PhD focusing on urban and labour economics topics at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Prior to and during my PhD, I consulted for the World Bank on spatial economics, industrial policy and infrastructure planning in Indonesia, South Africa and Bangladesh.

Before joining ACRC, I was a senior postdoctoral associate at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, where I focused on technology policy research and research at the intersection of urban economics and big data.

How would you explain your research to a friend or family member?

My research uses digitised satellite imagery as well as survey and administrative data, together with statistical methods aimed at establishing cause–effect relationships, to examine questions related to pressing public policy issues in cities in developing countries. I am interested in topics such as the effects of zoning regulations on land value capture and the interactions between labour market policies and climate shocks. I am starting new research related to the political economy of land use policies for structural transformation in African cities. Unrelated to ACRC, I also carry out research on how to improve the measurement of digital development.

What does your role within ACRC entail?

Along with conducting my own research related to land use policies, I am also mapped to the structural transformation domain. This involves collaborating with researchers at UNU-WIDER in Helsinki, who I had the pleasure of visiting for a week recently.

“The cross-disciplinary nature of ACRC makes it particularly interesting. The University of Manchester is also a vibrant hub for development and urban research.”

What are you finding most interesting about your work with ACRC so far? What are you most excited about?

The cross-disciplinary nature of ACRC makes it particularly interesting. The University of Manchester is also a vibrant hub for development and urban research.

In fewer than five words, what one issue do you think needs to be prioritised to improve urban development in African cities?

Planning should consider economics issues.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I run a lot and have been training for some races. There are some nice routes along the river in Manchester.

Note: This article presents the views of the author featured and does not necessarily represent the views of the African Cities Research Consortium as a whole.

The African Cities blog is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which means you are welcome to repost this content as long as you provide full credit and a link to this original post.

Tell us a bit about your background…

I was born in Nyeri, Kenya but I grew up in Nairobi. My training is in town planning, first at the University of Nairobi, and then at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. I have worked in urban and housing research organisations in Nairobi and Johannesburg, including the Centre for Urban Research Innovations at the University of Nairobi, the Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa in Johannesburg, and the NRF Chair in Spatial Analysis and City Planning at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

From my life in Nairobi and through working in these organisations, I have developed an interest and passion for African cities, and so my research focuses on the role of urban planning in shaping the development trajectory of African towns and cities.

How would you explain your research to a friend or family member?

I study towns and cities in Africa, focusing on housing, neighbourhoods and local economies. I try to understand how towns come together – where we live, where we work, where our children play and go to school, the markets where we buy our food, how we move from place to place.

I am interested in how all the different actors from governments, big and small investors, and we as city residents work together to create safe, beautiful and liveable spaces. As a town planner, I try to think about how we can use laws, policies and resources/funding to coordinate investments and produce towns and cities that are accessible to all.

What does your role within ACRC entail?

My role in ACRC is to provide support in the housing and human settlements domain. This involves coordinating the different city research projects, liaising with research teams in our cities. Our first phase of cities includes Nairobi, Freetown, Lilongwe and Accra. I am also working on my own research project on urban planning and nodal development in the Nairobi metropolitan project.

“I am excited about what we can learn across the different cities and focus areas that can support local efforts at advocacy or formulating workable policies and programmes.”

What are you finding most interesting about your work with ACRC so far? What are you most excited about?

The most interesting opportunity that the ACRC work has provided me is to understand how different towns and cities in Africa are developing. I am learning that the challenges facing housing and human settlements development are very similar across our cities, although there are specific differences in each city. I am excited about what we can learn across the different cities and focus areas that can support local efforts at advocacy or formulating workable policies and programmes.

The fellowship is also bringing together different researchers from across Africa, who are working on other domains, such as land and connectivity, informal settlements, urban safety and security, youth and capabilities, structural transformation, local and neighbourhood economies, and health, wellbeing and nutrition. I am very excited to participate in this multisectoral community, and I look forward to learning more from my fellow colleagues.

In fewer than five words, what one issue do you think needs to be prioritised to improve urban development in African cities?

Adapting and scaling-up local solutions.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

A few things! I like to be outdoors, if the weather is nice, and I enjoy playing sports or learning a new sport. If I am indoors, I like drawing cartoons, reading books and comics, watching a nice sci-fi show, or playing video games. I also enjoy socialising with friends and family.

Note: This article presents the views of the author featured and does not necessarily represent the views of the African Cities Research Consortium as a whole.

The African Cities blog is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which means you are welcome to repost this content as long as you provide full credit and a link to this original post.