Recent news headlines from the African continent show a variety of urgent issues affecting urban centers: severe flooding threatens Kenya's capital, Nairobi; the light rail system in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is faltering after a successful start. Meanwhile, in Egypt's capital, Cairo, new infrastructure and housing expenditures proved too steep and necessitated a government bailout. African cities face a plethora of problems but they also hold the potential to improve countless lives. As South America shares stark similarities in its history with that of Africa, it could provide both a point of reference and a positive example for tackling these concerns at an urban level.
What is the problem here, and why is it significant? The continent of Africa has the youngest population worldwide. Whilst 14% of humanity resides on the continent, this figure is expected to rise to 28% in about thirty years’ time. The vast majority of the world’s population growth is going to happen in Africa and Asia. Africa is also rapidly urbanizing, with its current urban population of 43% expected to rise to over 60% in the same period. On a global scale, African cities are becoming the new frontier in elevating the human development of millions, an opportunity to increase productivity and living standards. Goal 11 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals seeks cities that are “inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”. Evidence elsewhere has shown that city growth triggers economies of scale and knowledge spread, thereby boosting productivity. However, not all African cities are maximizing the benefits of rapid urbanization and reducing poverty. Thus, 60% of African urban dwellers live in informal settlements, facing problems such as poor housing, isolation from job opportunities, flood risk as well as lack of public space.
Such problems are not new and were witnessed in many other parts of the Global South, especially in South America where innovative and unorthodox methods were used to improve conditions in the last few decades. South America shares stark similarities in its history with that of Africa, the difference being a century or so between independence movements in each. Both continents saw extractive states established by Europeans in search of raw materials, enslaved populations, and forced labor, and then independence movements often followed by political instability and military coups before nascent democracy. It would make sense, then, for Africa to take note of successes across the Atlantic, especially as the two continents do not yet share many direct political and economic relationships. Cities like Bogota in Colombia and La Paz in Bolivia are notable, but the pioneer is Curitiba. This Brazilian city saw rapid expansion in the 1960s and had to invent many solutions to urban problems in the 1970s and 80s.
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Why Africa is the Future of MegacitiesIts story starts when the architect and urban planner Jaime Lerner joined a movement against the introduction of a new grid of wider car-oriented avenues that would have seen the demolition of many historic buildings. The movement succeeded, and Lerner would go on to be appointed as urban planner for Curitiba before winning three terms as mayor of the city. His legacy would include the introduction of the bus rapid transit system, a response to the city’s lack of funds for constructing an underground metro network but with the need to improve car-free mobility. Dedicated lanes for the long, bi-articulated buses and tubular stations where passengers could buy their tickets before boarding made the system a success.
The introduction of parks along the rivers provided public space and reduced the risk of flooding. Even the maintenance of these parks called for low-cost solutions by the use of herds of sheep to keep the grass short. Other programs include the ‘Green Exchange’ where the citizens swapped their waste for tokens for produce, theatre tickets, or other offerings. Recycling programs were introduced in schools so the message would transfer to the parents also. This multiplicity of programs Lerner would call ‘urban acupuncture’ - targeted, unorthodox, and low-cost methods of solving problems.
Curitiba can be described as a top-down innovator, relying on the zeal and dedication of a few individuals. Crossing into Colombia, the city of Medellin is a great example of community participation. The city had suffered from high levels of crime and violence, particularly in the drug trade of the 1980s. During this difficult period, the urban poor living in the slums, or comunas, were radicalized to demand better conditions. As the scourge of the drug trade ended, the city's planners had the mammoth task of reducing the steep inequality and violence.
In 1998, the Colombian constitution required cities to produce a masterplan which had to be the result of social participation. Thus, members of the municipality in Medellin had to engage with individuals in the comunas, even those who had previously mobilized against the authority. ‘Imagination workshops’ were held to determine how conditions could be improved. The process resulted in much improved public space and one of the most visible interventions of the period - the introduction of the MetroCable, the cable car transit system that cut journey times for residents and increased employment. While this is a multifaceted and complex story of urban change, it can serve as a case study for Africa, showcasing the positive impact of involving disadvantaged communities in the urban decision-making process.
These two examples demonstrate how much African cities can learn from their counterparts across the ocean, and how living conditions can be dramatically improved where there is a will. Methods can be top-down or bottom-up with community participation, but in most cases, low-cost, locally appropriate solutions have shown the most success. Africans can take cues from bold but unorthodox and innovative approaches, bearing in mind that conventional methods can be unaffordable as seen in Addis Ababa and Cairo. There are small signs that such lessons are being learned, such as with the introduction of a bus rapid transport system in Dar es Salaam, capital of Tanzania.
