Urbanization and socio-economic development in Africa : challenges and opportunities / edited by Steve Kayizzi-Mugerwa, Abebe Shimeles and Nadege Desiree Yameogo.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Overview of urban development in Africa / Albert Mafusire and Nadege Desiree Yameogo -- Cities as drivers of development / Ivan Turok -- Institutions, decentralisation and urban development / Edgar Pieterse and Warren Smit -- Financing urban development in Africa / Beacon Mbiba -- Upgrading informal settlements in African cities / Solomon Mulugeta -- The way forward / Nadege Desiree Yameogo, Abebe Shimeles and Steve Kayizzi-Mugerwa.

The main goal of this book is to put urbanization and its challenges squarely on Africa's development agenda. Planned urbanization can improve living conditions for the majority, help in the expansion of the middle class, and create conditions for economic transformation. However, many African cities have developed haphazardly, resulting in the decline of public services, in slum proliferation, and increases in poverty. African cities thrive on activities characterized by easy entry and low productivity, generally referred to as the "informal sector". This study argues that with careful policies and planning, the situation can be changed.The challenge for African policymakers is to ensure that urban development is orderly and that the process is inclusive and emphasizes the protection of the environment, hence green growth.