Urban development across Africa is at a critical crossroads. As cities expand at unprecedented rates, the continent faces dual challenge in accommodating rapid urbanisation while ensuring that development remains inclusive, equitable, and rooted in the lived realities of its people. This research talk, titled “(Re)Humanising Urban Development in Africa,” will explore the urgent need to reframe urban planning and policy through a human-centred lens prioritising dignity, cultural identity, social justice, and environmental sustainability. This talk will argue that the dominant models of urban development characterised by technocratic planning, displacement, and commodification of land. This have led to spatial injustice, deepened inequality, and eroded the social fabric of African cities. In response, the concept of “(re)humanising” urban development emerges as both a critique and call to action: to centre people, culture, and community in the design and governance of urban spaces. The talk will conclude by proposing a new urban imagination for Africa that is rooted in care, justice, and collective agency. The talk will also call on scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and citizens to co-create cities that are not only functional but also humane, expressive, and inclusive. Rehumanising urban development is not a utopian ideal; it is a necessary paradigm shift for building cities that truly belong to the people who inhabit them.
Programme
Zoom platform opens 15 minutes before start, participants can join.
11:00 – 11:05 Introduction Professor Taibat Lawanson
11:05 – 11:10 Profile of the Guest Speaker Professor Taibat Lawanson
11:10 – 11:40 Guest Speaker’s Talk Dr Jackson Sebola-Samanyanga (University of Pretoria, South Africa)
11:40 – 11:55 Comments, Questions and Responses
11:45 – 12:00 Closing Remarks Professor Nwola Uduku
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