Reflections on African Cities in Transition: Selected Continental Experiences

Purshottama Sivanarain Reddy · Henry Wissink

Sep 2020 · Springer Nature

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This volume describes African cities in transition, and the economic, socio-political, and environmental challenges resulting from rapid post-colonial urbanization. As the African continent continues to transition from urban configurations inherited from colonial influences and history, it faces issues such as urban slum expansion, increased demands for energy and clean water, lack of adequate public transportation, high levels of inequality among different socio-economic population strata, and inadequate urban governance, planning, and policies. African cities in transition need to reconsider current policies and developmental trajectories to facilitate and sustain economic growth and Africa’s strategic repositioning in the world.

Written by an international team of scholars and practitioners, this volume uses case studies to focus on key issues and developmental challenges in selected African cities. Topics include but are not limited to, smart cities, changing notions of democracy, the city’s role in attaining the SDGs, local governance, alternative models for governance and management, corruption, urbanisation and future cities.

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Purshottama Sivanarain Reddy is a senior professor and subnational governance specialist in the School of Management, IT and Governance at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in South Africa. He is currently Vice President of Programmes and founder Project Director of the working group on sub-national governance and development, and member of the Board of Management representing the African Region of the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration (IASIA) (Brussels).

Henry Wissink is a professor of Public Governance at the School of Management, IT and Governance at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in South Africa. He is broadly educated and skilled in the fields of public governance, public policy analysis, development studies, organisation, and leadership development. He is the Director of the Unit for Sustainable Urban Governance and Innovation (USUGAI) at the UKZN, aimed at improving knowledge, technologies and skills needed for the development of smart, sustainable, resilient and agile cities of the future, particularly in the developing world.