How Can Informal Retail Preserve Pedestrian Zones as Car Dependency Increases in African Cities?
African cities are expected to experience a significant increase in Africa’s cities" href="https://www.afdb.org/en/documents/africas-urbanisation-dynamics-2022-economic-power-africas-cities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">population over the next 30 years. According to United Nations projections, these cities will welcome an additional 900 million inhabitants by 2050. This demographic shift will create both opportunities and challenges that will reshape the nature and structure of these cities. These challenges include the need for economic growth, increased demand for housing and infrastructure, and the development of supplementary transportation systems. So far, most African cities have responded to this rapid population growth with sprawling horizontal development patterns that expand the fringes of the city, increase social fragmentation, and ultimately lead to greater car dependency.
Ikoyi, Lekki, and Lagos Island street view. Lagos, Nigeria - January 28, 2021. Image © Kehinde Temitope O/ Shutterstock
African cities are expected to experience a significant increase in Africa’s cities" href="https://www.afdb.org/en/documents/africas-urbanisation-dynamics-2022-economic-power-africas-cities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">population over the next 30 years. According to United Nations projections, these cities will welcome an additional 900 million inhabitants by 2050. This demographic shift will create both opportunities and challenges that will reshape the nature and structure of these cities. These challenges include the need for economic growth, increased demand for housing and infrastructure, and the development of supplementary transportation systems. So far, most African cities have responded to this rapid population growth with sprawling horizontal development patterns that expand the fringes of the city, increase social fragmentation, and ultimately lead to greater car dependency.
