Introduction

Abstract

One of the challenges confronting African countries is the rapid urban growth the continent has experienced in the last decades, which is expected to continue in the near future. These demographic and urbanization growth trends raise new problems, challenges and opportunities for the governance of cities and towns in Africa. This initial chapter provides an introduction to the main issues associated with the recent and expected demographic and urbanization changes in the continent as well as an introduction to the decentralization process and planning of law reforms in Africa. The chapter ends with a brief outline of the structure of the book, which deals with these issues in 16 African countries-Algeria, Angola, Cape Verde, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe-some of which are covered in more than one chapter.