Urban solutions to Africas problems

The briefing highlights the potential of urbanisation to improve lives through innovative governance and decentralisation. It uses examples from Nordic cities, Asia, and North America to demonstrate how city-level action can bypass national delays in implementing SDGs. For Africa, the text suggests that adapting these global urban successes to local contexts—while addressing specific challenges like poverty and instability—can catalyse sustainable development.

• Urbanisation is increasing globally, with over 50% of the world's population living in cities. Specifically, Lagos, Nigeria, is projected to double its population by 2050 to become the world's third largest city, and at least 41 mega-cities with 10 million or more inhabitants are expected by 2030.
• Decentralised governance and fiscal liberties allow cities to implement targeted solutions. For example, Stockholm introduced congestion taxes to reduce pollution and fund transport infrastructure, while a multi-stakeholder school feeding scheme in Södertälje, Sweden, was adapted by Mollet de Valles, Spain, to provide services without increasing costs.
• Cities are increasingly acting independently of national governments to implement SDGs. Examples include Davao (Philippines) creating local indicators, Kep (Cambodia) cooperating with businesses to reduce waste, Woodstock (Canada) aiming for total reliance on renewable energy, and Cape Town (South Africa) addressing spatial injustice through affordable housing in the city centre.
• While urban solutions from the Nordics and elsewhere offer promise for Africa, they must be adapted to the continent's specific obstacles, which include higher levels of corruption, violence, instability, poverty, and inequality. The African Centre for Cities asserts that urban plans in Africa must be inclusive, responsive, scalable, and pragmatic.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2017). Urban solutions to Africas problems. https://saiia.org.za/research/urban-solutions-to-africa-s-problems/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Urban solutions to Africas problems. 2017. https://saiia.org.za/research/urban-solutions-to-africa-s-problems/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Urban solutions to Africas problems |date=3 November 2017 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/urban-solutions-to-africa-s-problems/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2017urban, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Urban solutions to Africas problems}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2017}, month = nov, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/urban-solutions-to-africa-s-problems/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }