The world as we know it is undergoing fundamental change in spatial patterns. Indeed it has been so for a while. Settlement patterns are one of the most dynamic facets of the human experience; in fact they are, as we know it, a reflection of any civilization in space as history is with respect to time.
In 2007,we passed a landmark in history, where more than half of the world’s population officially lived in urban areas.
According to projections from the United Nations, a dip is nowhere near; urbanisation is set to reach about 85% and 65% by 2050 in developed and developing countries respectively. By figures that will mean that, population gain in urban areas is projected at 2.6 billion, absorbing all population growth expected by 2050 whiles drawing in more people from rural areas.
Now considering the developing world, Africa is set to see an increase by 0.9 billion. This will mean increased pressure on urban areas with its attendant effects, high demand in services and facilities.
There is no doubt that the cities in the developing world are the attractors. In Africa, if you want to be in the flow of opportunities move to a city! The rising middle-income class is happening in the cities, the Internet, mobile and other technology revolutions are all happening there mainly because infrastructure is existent, facilities are somewhat provided and more so political power has is domiciled there.
Cities are a rich mix of economic, social and cultural dynamics. Like magnets they attract!
In spite of all these opportunities in the city, challenges persist, planning is a headache, most cities do not have urban master plans to control development, they thus move with the wind. In situations were they exist, they are not implemented or are far out-dated with such an increasing urbanisation rate.
The conclusion one can easily draw is that to most African governments who are plagued with other major problems, urban planning is a “luxury”. It is not too much of a priority; in as much as we can leave the people to make their own cities why bother?
One could imagine that in such a state of affairs everything passes in the city, chaos is the order. Challenges reach new heights and sometimes grow out of proportion, compounding issues.
In the shadow of this absence of planning a lot goes on with the city. Development is by piecemeal. It is more or less like a tasteless potpourri made up of bits and pieces, a patchwork to say the least.
Taking my city Accra as a case, over the past decade we have seen the springing up of gated communities to its north-eastern part mainly around the current Kotoka International Airport. What has that engendered? A striking dichotomy of Accra and Accra, affluent neighbourhoods with major facilities and the less downtown ones with practically nothing. The historic inner core of the city (mainly the majority Ga communities) is deserted with poor facilities. Another pop-up feature is the recent so called airport city, with major new developments springing up here and there like an invasion somewhat creating a ghetto. These are just minor developments, which could have been mastered in the presence of a master plan.

In the light of all these, my view is that if Africa is to develop we should begin to take planning of our cities serious, especially with the projections of urbanisation we will see in the coming years. As it were, most of these challenges will be captured if we are to plan our cities. Urban sprawl, ghettoization of affluent and poor neighbourhoods, communal means of transport, health and educational facilities etc. will all be thought through in a typical master plan, projections made and strategies put in place. Aren’t these the same problems our governments have been trying to solve? I am more than convinced that to tackle the many ills of the African society, we should begin to start planning our cities, and in earnest whiles making room for the approaching 0.9 billion!
Making a case for urban design of our cities brings to light, the issue of which particular model in view of the numerous ones the field of urbanism has witnessed through history.
As a continent, we were able to leapfrog to mobile technology .we have done so in other technology fields in some ways because for instance there was a lack of infrastructure as in the case of fixed-line telephony. But one of the main reasons that gives us this urge is because we lurk behind mostly, that gives us a second-comer advantage. We should begin to seriously make the best out of this.
Now, getting back to which model of urban design I believe we could once again, leap frog to sustainable urban design. Most of the models we see and hear of from Howard’s garden city, to Le Corbusier’s radial city of the industrial heights down to post-fordist green urbanism have all been responses in some sort to crisis that plagued the human society.
We in Africa need not relive the same experiences; we have the second-comer advantage to leapfrog to sustainable urbanism. By this we will be looking at all facets of sustainable development in our planning. That will mean economic, social and environmental improvement and equity for our population.
Sustainable urban planning will mean checking urban sprawl through compact cities, being resource efficient, providing for communal means of transport, addressing social and economic equity among others.
Current models of western sustainable urbanism are in most cases more or less “accessorization” of buildings, i.e. attaching gadgets to buildings. Some are what I describe as sustainable “upgrading” or “infill” as most of the infrastructure exists already.
Our case with African cities is different. Infrastructure is inexistent or below standard. We will have to really look at the whole big picture, pick through elements that will have a domino effect of sustainability, an integrated systems approach I guess.
So, my view is that in aiming at taking urban design seriously we could leap frog to integrating sustainable development principles and in doing that I believe the way to go is through an ecosystem approach of integration. Systems, which work like a natural ecosystem, where all is systemised, loops are closed, no waste!
Above all, we should not forget to contextualise these concepts. The African context should be in no way left out that will bring out our true identity.

Neindow Hassan Yakubu
[email protected]
Student & Urban Researcher.