Africa’s urban centres are expanding at an unprecedented pace. By 2050, they’re projected to welcome nearly a billion new residents. This explosive growth presents tremendous opportunities and significant challenges.
While cities serve as engines of economic progress, they often develop in ways that exclude large segments of their populations through rising costs and poor planning. Designing urban expansion with inclusivity in mind can help solve this problem.
The foundation for inclusive cities begins with thoughtful land management. When cities treat land purely as a commodity, prices inevitably rise beyond what most residents can afford. Kigali, for example, offers a compelling alternative through its leasehold system, where the government maintains ownership while issuing long-term usage rights.
This approach stabilises land values, prevents speculative bubbles, and ensures development benefits the entire community rather than just wealthy investors.
Housing policy represents another critical lever for inclusion.
The traditional model-or default-of isolated luxury developments alongside neglected slums serves no one’s long-term interests and is, at best, lacking strategy.
In fast developing economies, we have seen new developments that demonstrate the power of mixed-income communities, where affordable units are integrated into market-rate developments. Such projects create vibrant, diverse neighbourhoods while giving lower-income residents access to better services and opportunities.
Transportation systems also often reveal a city’s true priorities. While, for instance, Lagos’ BRT network initially focused on wealthier corridors, Addis Ababa’s light rail system was designed from the outset to serve all residents with flat, affordable fares.
Well-planned public transit helps bridge economic divides by connecting people to jobs, education, and services regardless of their neighbourhood or income level.
The ‘informal economy’ still employs the majority of urban Africans, yet many cities treat street vendors and market traders as problems rather than assets.
Upgrading rather than removing informal commercial spaces can preserve livelihoods while improving safety and sanitation. Smart cities recognise that informality often represents rational adaptation to economic realities, not something to be eradicated.
When allocating limited municipal resources, basic infrastructure in underserved areas delivers more value than showcase projects. A good example is Dar es Salaam’s decision to prioritise water and sanitation in informal settlements which dramatically improved living conditions for thousands. This approach demonstrates how targeted investments in fundamentals can uplift entire communities.
The time for incremental change has passed. African cities need bold, comprehensive approaches to urban development that place inclusion and affordability at the centre.
The solutions-and successful examples-exist. What’s needed now is the collective will to implement them at scale across the continent’s rapidly growing urban landscapes.
Community engagement also produces better outcomes than top-down decision making. In Zambia, when residents of informal settlements mapped their own neighborhoods and guided upgrade plans, the results reflected actual needs rather than bureaucratic assumptions.
Although technology implementations often bypass the urban poor, they don’t have to.
Simple modernisation tools – like prepaid utility meters – bring reliable service to previously excluded neighborhoods, proving that innovation can expand rather than restrict access.
True smart city initiatives should be judged by their ability to serve marginalized communities, not just technological sophistication.
The costs of exclusion manifests in strained social systems and reduced economic potential. For example, Johannesburg’s stark inequalities have resulted in creating massive expenditures on private security and lost productivity. In contrast, cities that prioritize inclusion benefit from greater social stability and shared prosperity.
Creating inclusive cities isn’t easy – it requires thoughtfulness, innovation, and coordinated action across multiple fronts. The approaches I have mentioned are being tested and proven across African cities.
The challenge now lies in scaling them systematically. Municipal leaders have both the tools and successful examples to guide action.
The coming decade of urban growth presents an opportunity to build differently; more intentionally, with technology and governance integrated into master plans, and focused on creating cities that work for all their residents.