cities

For African cities, ‘tactical urbanism’ has its limits

In Accra, a bicycle vendor has set up shop at the sidewalk in the area of Mamobi.

It was a few years ago that the framework of tactical urbanism, a concept particularly promoted and popularized by U.S. planning design firm Street Plans Collaborative, gained traction, particularly in the United States and European contexts. The idea of tactical urbanism refers to locally led, low-cost and short-term built environment interventions aimed at improving local… Continue reading For African cities, ‘tactical urbanism’ has its limits

African Urbanism’s in The Guardian! And more reasons you should follow their Cities site

African Urbanism author Victoria Okoye at Black Star Square (Independence Square) in Accra, Ghana. (Photo Credit: Abena Annan)

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:

How do we measure “livability” in African cities?

Street-level actvity at Makola Market in Old Accra.

In the Africa.com article “The Top 10 Most Livable Cities in Africa”, I was excited to see the city that I currently reside in — Accra, Ghana — listed as the second most livable city in the continent. As you might guess, it’s many of the continent’s main attractions that find themselves on the list —… Continue reading How do we measure “livability” in African cities?