If you haven’t discovered it already, The Guardian has started a Cities site, thanks to funding from the Rockefeller Foundation. Here are some fantastic reasons why you should be following this initiative:
#1 African Urbanism featured as “blog of the week!”
In the first week of March, African Urbanism was featured as the first “blog of the week” – it’s been a great opportunity to look at Accra’s insights, spotlights and challenges in a new and interesting way. The week started off on Monday, March 3rd with a quick rundown of me answering some questions on my impressions of the city, fielding questions like “What’s the best way to get around? What does your city do better than any other in the world? What one item is indispensable to life in your city? Tell us something about your city that only a resident would know.”
Check out my answers here and let me know your responses, too! Tuesday was all about my most loved and most hated things in the city (check out that here). On Wednesday they featured one of my favorite articles on this site (also posted on UrbanAfrica), “Accra’s festivals make streetscapes into public space” on the Jamestown and the Chale Wote Street Art Festival. Friday we ended up with my very own “one-minute manifesto” of the one change I’d make in the city if I were mayor for a day.
#2 Discover more African Urbanists
The Guardian’s developed a map of 50 of the “best city blogs around the world,” and it’s a great map showcasing other African urbanist blogs : Snap it, Oga! (Lagos, Nigeria) — Urban Joburg (Johannesburg, South Africa) — Complexia (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) — Cairobserver and Cairo From Below (both from Cairo, Egypt).
My big question, and I’d love to hear from you: What other Africa-based and Africa-focused blogs would you love to see on this map?
#3 Explore the sounds and sights of other cities…
…and see if you can guess the city. Each week, a new city, like this African city, featured on March 7th.
Super Major Congratulations Vicki! How awesome is this. Your hard work is paying off and that is seriously an inspiration. Keep it up! Lots of Love. Evelyn