ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the importance of African urban areas and examines the possibilities of generalization over geographical space and historical time. It provides concepts that inform later descriptions and analyses and presents a framework that energizes the progression of our ideas. The chapter argues that the urban areas of Black Africa—and the urbanization process—cannot be divorced from the larger historical and dynamic contexts or processes of which they are a part. Thus African cities are not important as isolated islands of human life as structures and processes enmeshed in broader, interacting relationships. Although the relationships are not always explicitly discussed, they are implicitly assumed. In Africa, as throughout the world, urban areas provide an environment generally favorable to innovation. The political arena is a visible place for importation and innovation. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
