Development and Planning in African Cities: Exploring theories, policies and practices from Sierra Leone

In the next 35 years, Africa will need to accommodate almost 900 million new urban dwellers. Hundreds of smaller cities are doubling in size every 20 years, half of Africa’s urban dwellers live in informal settlements in precarious conditions, and 75% of these are younger than 35.

Our course will explore African cities through the lenses of spatial justice and social diversity, challenging myths and assumptions about urban development and demonstrating how different processes interact and shape the development of a city.

The course is open to people from any disciplinary background with a desire to learn about urban development and planning in African cities and potentially to those who would like to pursue a career in urban development or planning.

It is suitable for urban professionals who work or may in future want to work in Sub-Saharan Africa and would like to gain an understanding of how its cities are made and developed.

• Introduction to development and planning
• Introduction
• Development and planning
• Spatial justice and diversity
• Urban land and informalities
• Introduction
• Urban land
• Informalities
• Governance and participatory planning
• Introduction
• Governance
• Participatory planning
• Vulnerability and infrastructure
• Introduction
• Urban vulnerability
• Infrastructure
• Peer assignment activity
• Taking learning further and next steps