Environment and Urbanization· 2013Q1
African urban fantasies: dreams or nightmares?
- 820citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2013year
Short summary
Large African cities are being planned as 'world-class' Dubai/Shanghai-style hubs, but this risks worsening existing inequalities and marginalization for the majority of residents living in poverty with minimal services.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Sub-Saharan African cities are being planned to resemble 'world-class' cities like Dubai and Shanghai.
- These plans are promoted with 'smart city' and 'eco-city' rhetoric.
- The reality for most urban residents is deep poverty and minimal services.
- The proposed developments are likely to worsen existing marginalization and inequalities.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Labelled as the “last frontier” for international property development, sub-Saharan Africa’s larger cities are currently being revisioned in the image of cities such as Dubai, Shanghai and Singapore, which claim top positions in the world-class city leagues. Draped in the rhetoric of “smart cities” and “eco-cities”, these plans promise to modernize African cities and turn them into gateways for international investors and showpieces for ambitious politicians. Yet the reality in all of these cities stands in stark contrast to the glass-box towers, manicured lawns and water features on developers’ and architects’ websites. With the majority of urban populations living in deep poverty and with minimal urban services, the most likely outcome of these fantasy plans is a steady worsening of the marginalization and inequalities that already beset these cities.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Environment and Urbanization, 2013 · DOI ↗
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Field: Urban Studies
Urban StudiesSocial Sciences