Africa’s Urban Revolution

This book shows the complexity of economic, social and spatial change that is part of Africa’s urbanization. Each of the 14 chapters presents one of the critical academic and policy areas that concern specifically African aspects of urban revolution.

The book encourages readers to read the word “revolution” in multiple ways, and critically reflect on what it means when the majority of people grow up in cities and how that simultaneously catalyzes economic revolutions, cultural and identity revolutions and governance revolutions.

The authors critically examine drivers of urbanization with urbanization processes carefully contextualized, e.g. by accounting for their historical roots, the roles of religion and post-war and conflict situations. The challenges and the potentially beneficial approaches for cities in providing an adequate food supply and distribution and accessibility through transport infrastructure are highlighted, as well as the need for accompanying political, institutional, legal, economic, educational and academic reforms.

One of the book’s main messages is the complexities of Africa’s urban revolution, and the importance of understanding this in order to address the challenges and improve livelihoods and living conditions, especially of the urban poor.

The book is thus not only important for urbanists but also for African scholars, policy makers and other interested readers who want to understand the reconfiguration and change urbanization brings to regions located on what has long been a rural continent. Furthermore, the sheer scale and number of these multiple revolutions extend the relevance of this book to the global scale, especially those chapters that consider the historical dimensions and the development of global markets. More urban-sensitive actors are needed to overcome dysfunctionalities of the past, and this book provides a variety of entry points to increase the awareness of challenges, but also opportunities to shape, Africa’s already ongoing urban revolution. 

Booknote prepared by Julia Wesely