Feature
African Urbanism
urban agenda have become a hot topic amongst businesses
uence and explore opportunities arising from Africa’s rapid
k of reliable data and long-term analysis of urban issues
erimental practice in the design and conceptualisation of
nd serious consequences for affected communities.
ew African urbanism
ethos based on deep contextual embeddedness and practical research in the built
n any single business year. Over the last few years, a large portion of that research has
that informs our approach to the growth and development of urban areas.
r, realised the need to localise this research to illustrate relevance and critical
ban rates of change outstrip developed world norms. “The African city research
owledge and skills in working in African cities,” says Venter.
ure local knowledge to both enrich the research product and direct its development. The
enges and development contexts of five rapidly changing and growing African cities; taking
goals for the subsequent phases.
plains, “The outcome of the first phase of the research is a set of city specific engagement
that three dominant issues were common to all five cities; access to adequate housing,
s, which are intended as a participatory tool that encourages people to see things
ders; including local government departments, research institutions, developers, funders
rkshops are to take place in other cities, culminating in a published work that will greatly
ent and future needs of citizens in their daily interaction with their city,” concludes
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