ABSTRACT

Most citizens in African cities rely on semi-formal bus systems called paratransit. Yet these mobility systems tend to be invisible or marginal within formal urban planning processes: a “paratransit puzzle”. Through comparative analysis of recent master plans for Maputo and Nairobi, we concretely demonstrate this gap in official planning. We also show preliminary evidence from Maputo and Nairobi to suggest that collaborative paratransit mapping can support more inclusive transportation planning conversations. Overall, given the importance of these mobility systems in African cities, we argue that paratransit needs to be a more central concern within an inclusive planning process.