Start from where you are: the case for a community-led affordable housing model
Poor urban residents have been successfully housing themselves while states struggle to meet housing demand. James Clacherty explores how an informal, community-led housing model might be able to meet growing urban housing demand.
Fearing the tide: The resettlement debate in West Point, Liberia
Liberia’s largest urban slum, West Point is under threat from sea level rise. But the shifting displacement-resettlement debate cannot be simply presented as one in which it is government versus slum dwellers, writes Ariadne Baskin.
Gone but not forgotten: Cape Town’s thomassons
An exploration of the useless elements in Cape Town’s built environment and what they can tell us about our relationship with our cities.
Cape Town eco-estates protect rich from reality of townships
A stone’s throw from the working-class township of Masiphumelele, the Noordhoek mountains are being transformed into exclusive “eco-estates” which preserve apartheid geography just as the Group Areas Act did, write Bruce Baigrie and Henrik Ernstson.
Affordable housing and the case for publicly-driven housing in African cities
Public sector provision of housing will not meet affordable housing needs by itself. But neglecting it in favour of solely an enabling approach is also a mistake, writes Hugo Halimi.
African smart cities: potential and pitfalls
Rapid urbanization, coupled with a race for better connectivity, offers an opportunity to introduce smart city initiatives in African cities. But smart cities come with their challenges.
What makes a bikeable city? Ideas to get Lagos cycling again
How Lagos can become a bike-friendly city.
Can we use housing interventions to fight TB in South Africa?
Tubercolosis is the top killer in South Africa. Building better houses could help reduce the spread of the disease, writes Stuart Denoon-Stevens.
Green spaces in cities good for mental health
The importance of safe green spaces in cities should not be underestimated, especially for mental health.