Module 2 — Concepts of Sustainable Cities and Communities
Lesson 8 of 12Examples from African Cities

atlas map of the African continent, with signposts highlighting locations for Accra, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, and Johannesburg
Examples from Accra, Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg and Nairobi

Here are five examples from African cities: Accra, Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg, and Nairobi. The examples demonstrate challenges with infrastructure in cities, and include such challenges like inadequate housing, transport infrastructure and access to safe water, respectively. These examples have been put together by Arup’s Exploring the Future of African Cities 

http://www.driversofchange.com/projects/exploring-the-future-of-african-cities/

Make sure to go through all five cities in the three infrastructure categories by clicking through the tabs and scrolling down. 

Inadequate Housing

  • Accra

    • laundry hangs from clothlines between two houses in Accra, Ghana
    Around 43% of Ghana’s 14M urban dwellers live in slums. Accra, a city of 2.3M people, is growing at a rate of 4.3% annually.

  • Addis Ababa

    • weather-worn residential building above shops in Addis, Ethiopia
    A city of 3.2M, Addis is growing at 3.8% per year.

  • Dar es Salaam

    • new construction of an apartment building towers over older smaller buildings in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
    Dar es Salaam is one of the fastest growing cities in the world, projected to expand by more than 85% through 2025.

  • Johannesburg

    • ramshackle shacks and houses make up an informal settlement in Johannesburg, South Africa
    About 50% of South Africa’s urban population live in townships and informal settlements, and these areas are home to around 60% of the country’s unemployed.

  • Nairobi

    • rusted tin-roofed houses and shacks grouped closely together in Nairobi, Kenya
    About 2M people live in Nairobi’s informal settlements, making up over half the capital’s population.
     

    Transport Infrastructure

  • Accra

    • straight section of highway leading into smog in the horizon
    Accra’s ageing transport infrastructure is struggling to keep up with the demands of a growing population.

  • Addis Ababa

    • pedestrians and cars navigating a roundabout
    Even though most trips in Addis Ababa are made on foot, facilities for pedestrians tend to be inadequate and substandard.

  • Dar es Salaam

    • wide highway passes nearby apartment complex
    Public transport is unreliable and mostly provided by mini-bus taxis (dala-dalas) which are lawless and increase traffic congestion.

  • Johannesburg

    • aerial view of the city of Johannesburg
    Traffic congestion remains a serious issue for the city with 1.5M vehicles registered in the metropolitan area.

  • Nairobi

    • cars stuck in traffic on a city road
    Traffic costs the city around $570,000 a day in lost productivity.
     

    Access to Clean Water

  • Accra

    • busy harbour of boats, with a footbridge in the foreground
    Almost a quarter of Accra’s population can’t get water from a tap, and many have to pay private suppliers or walk long distances to public stands or wells.

  • Addis Ababa

    • children having fun splashing water near a well
    Around 42M people in Ethiopia don’t have access to safe water and over 71M don’t have adequate sanitation.

  • Dar es Salaam

    • two young men carry water on their heads near a dry river bed
    Access to clean water and sanitation are major issues for Dar es Salaam’s poor, contributing to diseases and poor health.

  • Johannesburg

    • a large concrete water dam in South Africa
    The water basin serving Johannesburg is expected to face a severe gap in the future due to growing household and industrial demand.

  • Nairobi

    • garbage of plastic, bags and food waste lying in and around river water near a settlement
    In Kibera, water mains cut across the slum delivering water to homes in wealthier areas, but residents of the settlement have to buy water at five to 20 times the price of piped water.