This handbook contributes with new evidence and new insights to the on-going debate on the de-colonization of knowledge on urban planning in Africa. African cities grew rapidly since the mid-20th century, in part due to rising rural migration and rapid internal demographic growth that followed the independence in most African countries. This rapid urbanization is commonly seen as a primary cause of the current urban management challenges with which African cities are confronted. This importance given to rapid urbanization prevented the due consideration of other dimensions of the current urban problems, challenges and changes in African cities. The contributions to this handbook explore these other dimensions, looking in particular to the nature and capacity of local self-government and to the role of urban governance and urban planning in the poor urban conditions found in most African cities. It deals with current and contemporary urban challenges and urban policy responses, but also offers an historical overview of local governance and urban policies during the colonial period in the late 19th and 20th centuries, offering ample evidence of common features, and divergent features as well, on a number of facets, from intra-urban racial segregation solutions to the relationships between the colonial power and the natives, to the assimilation policy, as practiced by the French and Portuguese and the Indirect Rule put in place by Britain in some or in part of its colonies. Using innovative approaches to the challenges confronting the governance of African cities, this handbook is an essential read for students and scholars of Urban Africa, urban planning in Africa and African Development.

By linking culture and tradition with socio-economic development, this book breaks new ground in the discourse on development. It highlights the differences between Euro-centric and African culture, where concepts such as capital accumulation, entrepreneurial attitudes and material wealth are not top priority. In doing so, it dispels popular myths, stereotypes and distortions, as well as discounting misleading accounts about major aspects of African culture and traditional practices.

First published in 1981, this book concerns specifically the Kenyan experience with regards to development planning but, given that the problems of hunger poverty and underdevelopment manifest themselves in slightly different forms across all African countries, this book has considerable relevance to development planning across the African continent.The first set of essays in this collection address the question of development which is undoubtedly Africa’s highest development priority. The second grouping of essays considers issues in project planning and asks questions concerning cost, method, outcome and evaluation of various projects in Kenya

This handbook presents an extensive new overview of African development - past, present and future. It addresses key core themes and topics that are pertinent to the continent's development - including sections on history, health and food, politics, economics, rural and urban development, and development policy and practice. The volume draws on the expertise of over 60 of the world's leading scholars to provide a detailed and up-to-date analysis of the key opportunities and challenges that confront Africa, and how such issues are being addressed. Arranged by key themes, the handbook provides not only a historical understanding of the past, but also political perspectives on the future. The chapters provide critically informed analyses of their topics by drawing upon the latest conceptual viewpoints and applied experiences in Africa in the form of case studies to offer a comprehensive examination of the opportunities, challenges, key debates and future prospects. This handbook is an invaluable state-of-the-art overview and reference concerning many different aspects of Africa's development, which will be of interest to academics in all fields of African studies, and also academics and students working in cognate disciplines such as development studies, geography, history, politics and economics.

The complex and dynamic interlinks between natural resource management (NRM) and development have long been recognized by national and international research and development organizations and have generated voluminous literature. However, much of what is available in the form of university course books, practical learning manuals and reference materials in NRM is based on experiences from outside Africa. Managing Natural Resources for Development in Africa: A Resource Book provides an understanding of the various levels at which NRM issues occur and are being addressed scientifically, economically, socially and politically. The book's nine chapters present state-of-the-art perspectives within a holistic African context. The book systematically navigates the tricky landscape of integrated NRM, with special reference to Eastern and Southern Africa, against the backdrop of prevailing local, national, regional and global social, economic and environmental challenges. The authors' wide experience, the rich references made to emerging challenges and opportunities, and the presentation of different tools, principles, approaches, case studies and processes make the book a rich and valuable one-stop resource for postgraduate students, researchers, policymakers and NRM practitioners. The book is designed to help the reader grasp in-depth NRM perspectives and presents innovative guidance for research design and problem solving, including review questions, learning activities and recommended further reading. The book was developed through a writeshop process by a multi-disciplinary team of lecturers from the University of Nairobi, Egerton University, Kenyatta University, the University of Zimbabwe, the University of Malawi, Makerere University and the University of Dar es Salam. In addition, selected NRM experts from regional and international research organizations including the World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF), the Africa Forest Forum, RUFORUM, IIRR and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) participated in the writeshop and contributed material to the book.

Africa’s Development Dynamics uses lessons learned in the continent’s five regions – Central, East, North, Southern and West Africa – to develop policy recommendations and share good practices. Drawing on the most recent statistics, this analysis of development dynamics attempts to help African leaders reach the targets of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 at all levels: continental, regional, national and local.

The main goal of this book is to put urbanization and its challenges squarely on Africa’s development agenda. Planned urbanization can improve living conditions for the majority, help in the expansion of the middle class, and create conditions for economic transformation. However, many African cities have developed haphazardly, resulting in the decline of public services, in slum proliferation, and increases in poverty. African cities thrive on activities characterized by easy entry and low productivity, generally referred to as the "informal sector". Indeed, today some urban dwellers are poorer than their cousins in the countryside. In spite of reform attempts, many governments have not been able to create an enabling environment, with adequate infrastructure and institutions to sustain markets for easy exchange and production. This study argues that with careful policies and planning, the situation can be changed. If the recent natural resource-led economic boom that we have seen in many African countries is used for structural reforms and urban renewal, African cities could become centers of economic opportunity. The challenge for African policymakers is to ensure that urban development is orderly and that the process is inclusive and emphasizes the protection of the environment, hence green growth.

"Brilliantly executed from start to finish. . . . Elegantly written, [this book] represents a substantial advance in our knowledge of the colonial administration (often called the 'colonial state') and economy after the Second World War. . . . Makes a significant contribution to scholarship in economic history in general, and on African development planning in particular. . . . The conclusion is brilliant, controversial, yet persuasive."--A. G. Adebayo, Kennesaw State College "There is no comparable book, not just with respect to Nigeria, but indeed the entire West African subregion. . . . It is a significant work, carefully constructed without ideological encumbrances. Provocative in many parts and fascinating to read, [it] is bound to have a lasting impact on the understanding of the colonial economy in the post-World War II era."--Don C. Ohadike, Cornell University By the time Nigeria attained independence from Great Britain in 1960, colonial development planning had profoundly shaped the way Nigerians thought about the role of the state and about the way to implement development policies. This major work links the colonial and postcolonial development processes, uncovering the historical roots of the contemporary crisis in Nigeria and its intractable problem of poverty. The book analyzes the origins of planning and the impact of development schemes on Nigeria from 1940 to 1960. Using the methods of economic history and based primarily on official documents from Britain, the United States, and three archives in Nigeria, it examines the conflict generated by the first colonial development plans and the details of the Ten Year Plan of 1946-55. The author distributes the responsibility--and the blame--for poor planning between the British colonial powers, who sought minimal goals, and the Nigerian elite, who had big aspirations. Told for the first time by a native African scholar, this story of development planning shows clearly where Nigeria went adrift in its transformation from a "traditional" society to a "modern" one, and calls into question theoretical and ideological foundations of development planning throughout Africa. Toyin Falola is professor of African history at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author or editor of 15 books, including Modern Nigeria; Pawnship in Africa: Debt Bondage in Historical Perspective; Nigeria and Britain; and The Religious Impact on the Nation State. He is the joint editor of the Journal of African Economic History and the associate editor of Environment and History.

Regional development is a broad term but can be seen as a general effort to reduce regional disparities by supporting (employment and wealth-generating) economic activities in regions. In the past, regional development policy tended to try to achieve these objectives by means of large-scale infrastructure development and by attracting inward investment” (OECD, 2014).A territorial and regional approach to development is crucial in addressing regional challenges, regional economic competitiveness, and reducing socio-economic discrepancies. This book provides a forum to articulate and discuss Africa’s regional development issues in view of the rising opportunities within the African region. This volume contains 14 chapters and is organized in four sections: Introduction; Industry, Trade and Investment in Africa; Agricultural Services and the Water-energy-food Nexus in Africa; and Environmental and Cultural Dimensions to Africa’s Regional Development.