ABSTRACT
This chapter explores urban growth trends in Africa and the causes of urbanization, rural–urban links, phases of urban growth, urban economies, planning and policy, global city thinking, housing challenges, secondary centres, service provision challenges, climate change, the SDGs and the impact of COVID-19. The general challenges of urban and population growth experienced globally, Dodman et al. have identified some of the key features which characterize urbanism in Africa and the associated risks. The world’s fastest growing cities are all in Africa, with the 15 fastest growing on the continent projected to double in size between 2017 and 2035. Many African capitals are also ‘primate’ cities, having populations more than twice the size of the second largest city in that country. The urbanization phenomenon in Africa is a complex and dynamic process that has implications for both human survival and the natural environment.
