African Cities in Time and Space: Past, Emerging Trends and Perspectives

Abstract

This chapter presents the historical place of the urban setting that has shaped various social, economic and political transformations in Africa. It presents several examples of African cities that existed in the pre-colonial period. It also shows how the African urban space remarkably changes during the colonial period both quantitatively and qualitatively. Some pre-colonial African cities were overtaken by colonial cities along with a significant change in terms of urban planning and provision of basic infrastructure. After independence of African countries, urbanization has accelerated with the apparition of large cities, but with the influence of the colonial urban planning. Today over half a billion of African population live in urban areas. This African urban population is projected to reach 1 billion in 2040 and 1.5 billion in 2050.