ABSTRACT
This chapter sketches some of the dominant population and economic trends in urban development in the countries of the so-called Global South, and tries to discern what the future might hold for subsequent generations. Physical proximity facilitates access to services such as health and education, while urban economies lead to increased productivity and rising incomes. In a review of planning education in Africa, Watson and Agbola argue that 'planning is the most important tool that governments have at their disposal for managing rapid urban population growth and expansion'. A new continental effort, led by the Association of African Planning Schools (AAPS), seeks to redress this in the hope that future urban practitioners are better equipped to respond effectively and meaningfully to urbanization. Urban research is less and less the preserve of a small minority of white male academics and has broadened its remit and involvement beyond academia to NGOs, organized communities, governments and private firms in the Global South.
