ABSTRACT
Since the beginning of the twenty-first century new patterns of economic growth have emerged. No longer are most countries in the global south falling further behind the already industrialized countries of the north (Rodrik 2007; IMF 2012). While in the past 30 years the growth rates of Asian countries — particularly China and India — have been extraordinary, today, these higher growth rates have spread to Latin America and Africa. In this context of greater optimism on the prospects of the global south, increased attention has been given to the idea of an economic renaissance occurring in Africa. This chapter considers the role that African urban centres might play in these developments.
