Executive summary

The current report is the third in The State of African Cities series. The first, The State of African Cities 2008: A framework for addressing urban challenges in Africa , was explorative and analyzed general urban conditions and trends and identified benchmarks. It drew the attention to very rapid future growth of African cities and towns; to the apparent inability of local authorities to deal with present, let alone future urban population increases; and to the need for Africa to prepare for new urban configurations very different from the traditional concepts that see a city as an urban area within a clearly defined boundary and governed by a single municipal authority.

Related Subject(s): Human Settlements and Urban Issues