Africapolis (English version): Urbanization study in West Africa (1950-2020) (original) (raw)
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Africapolis: understanding the dynamics of urbanization in Africa
Field Actions Science Reports, 2020
Africa is undergoing unprecedented urbanization. But the dynamics driving this trend are poorly understood for several reasons, including the lack of a common definition of urban, unreliable demographic data, and over-representation of major agglomerations. Africapolis is a database that offers a common definition of urban and an innovative methodology based on cross-referencing satellite images with demographic data. It shows that Africa is far more urban than it appears, with the continent home to hundreds of agglomerations that are not officially recognized. Africapolis also shines a light on the diversity of ways that urbanization manifests itself: the appearance of spontaneous metropolitan regions and mega-agglomerations, the central role of rural transformations in urban growth, the emergence of intermediary agglomerations, and inland urbanization that creates a new balance in terms of the importance accorded to coastal cities. Lack of official recognition for numerous agglome...
Urban Growth in West Africa from Explosion to Proliferation
La Chronique du CEPED, 2009
What do we know about urbanisation in Africa? The classification systems of urban/rural areas differ from one country to another. As a consequence, international comparisons of urbanisation indicators or historical analyses of urban growth are difficult to establish. Urbanisation is indeed increasing, but how and where exactly? More in metropolises or in small towns? How many urban agglomerations are there in each country? The first part of the Africapolis programme1 provides new evidence with respect to West Africa2 . The Africapolis programme was commissioned by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) to measure urbanisation and its patterns since the 1950s and project the results to 2020 more accurately than previous work on urbanisation in West Africa. It is part of a global research programme, e-Geopolis3 , supported by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) since 2008. The aim of e-Geopolis is to establish an international online database on the development of urbanisation, using a harmonised classification of rural/urban areas applied to all countries
2009
What do we know about urbanisation in Africa? The classification systems of urban/rural areas differ from one country to another. As a consequence, international comparisons of urbanisation indicators or historical analyses of urban growth are difficult to establish. Urbanisation is indeed increasing, but how and where exactly? More in metropolises or in small towns? How many urban agglomerations are there in each country? The first part of the Africapolis programme provides new evidence with respect to West Africa. The Africapolis programme was commissioned by the Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD) to measure urbanisation and its patterns since the 1950s and project the results to 2020 more accurately than previous work on urbanisation in West Africa. It is part of a global research programme, e-Geopolis, supported by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) since 2008. The aim of e-Geopolis is to establish an international online database on the development of urbanisation,...
The Patterns and Trends of African Urbanization
Jouranl of Libyan Studies, DAR AZZAWYAH LELKETAB, 2017
Urbanization, as we understand it today, began to spread from Europe to the developing world because of colonization. The Industrial Revolution and economic development in developed regions of the world led to a large increase in the total urban population. In developing regions, urbanization has increased rapidly in the past four decades. The urban centers constructed by colonial regimes were primarily developed for commercial and security purposes and colonial urban centers reflected the lifestyle and priorities of the colonizers, rather than the indigenous population. This research focuses on the patterns and trends of African urbanization, including the similarities and differences in population growth. In addition, to urban growth, this research illustrates the geographical disparities between the regions of African continent. Moreover, it identifies the urban size changes between 1970 and 2014 and projected data of 2030 based on regional and international urbanization data. Furthermore, it examines the role of the colonial and post-colonial urban and planning development and its contribution to the recent urban growth and agglomerations.
Where to draw the line: Data problems and other difficulties estimating urbanisation in Africa
Development Southern Africa, 2016
The purpose of this article is to review the current state of knowledge on the pitfalls around definitions of the urban and the use of census data in estimating and tracking changes in urban populations. Differing criteria for the urban population and changing definitions make comparisons of levels of urbanisation very difficult across countries. Where censuses are held infrequently and administered less rigorously, accurate data on the urban population are a particular problem. This is especially the case in sub-Saharan Africa. Secondary African cities are increasingly important sites of urbanisation in sub-Saharan Africa, yet there is far less knowledge about these smaller cities. This article therefore looks at issues around estimates of populations in sub-Saharan cities and why this is a particular problem in smaller cities. Some of the implications of these problems are discussed, as well as measures to improve our understanding of the urbanisation process in smaller cities.
Africa's Urbanization and Emerging Settlement Forms: Implications to Urban Planning
Africa is rapidly urbanizing to host quarter of the global urban population by 2050. This is the consequence of various interacting forces. Natural increase, Annexation and Migration are the drivers of Africa's urbanization. The last two will take the lion share. Moreover, It's happening amidst of emerging political, socioeconomic and physical factors. Peculiarly, Africa's urbanization is depicting emergence of new spatial forms and patterns. The paramount significance of intermediate and smaller urban centers, periurbanization and informal settlements are among the prevailing ones. However, Africa's planning is mainly occupied with the classical traditional planning approaches mainly the master planning resulting plan-context mismatch inter alia. The mismatches yield unintended negative consequences that affect functional urbanization of Africa. These demand innovative and incremental urban planning approaches and process that meets the peculiar contexts of Africa's urbanization. Africa's urban planning should holistically address these emerging and upcoming urban issues. This paper, using secondary data, intends to look at the urban context of Africa and its implication to urban planning. It identifies the peculiarities of African urbanization the consequential spatial patterns and forms and what urban planning needs to uncover to lineup in congruence and compatibly with Africa's urbanization.
The impacts of urbanization on the African continent in terms of human
2021
A report based on the Africapolis geospatial database covering 7 600 urban agglomerations in 50 African countries, projects that Africa potentially could have the fastest urban growth rate in the world. Estimates say that by 2050, Africa’s cities will be home to an additional 950 million people. Much of this growth is taking place in small and medium-sized towns. (OECD/SWAC, 2020) With the advances in travel and the increasing affordability of traveling long distances, urbanization has been easier in the 21st century as Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser (2018) note that more than half of the world’s population now live in urban areas. This transition has transformed the way we live, work, travel, and build networks. This research assignment will look at the impacts of African urbanization, with an emphasis on Southern Africa.
Types and typologies of African urbanism
South African Journal of Art History, 2007
This article responds to the rapid urbanisation of sub-Saharan Africa. It laments the loss and deterioration of its pre-colonial urban artefacts due to neglect and even war, and pleads for their conservation and the recognition of relevant characteristics as contemporary urban solutions. Part one outlines the conceptual framework and highlights four theoretical considerations pertaining to definitions, preconceptions, methodology and sources of information. Part two contextualises the origins and nature of African urbanism with a brief historical perspective. Part three analyses the morphology of urban space, while part four concludes by discussing some seemingly intrinsic urban characteristics and their compatibility with current urban theories.