Attaining Sustainable Urbanization And Development In Highly Informalized Sub-Saharan African Communities: An Inclusive Urban Planner'S Perspective

Abstract

Less controlled urbanisation and exclusionary nature of urban management approach, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa have continued to aggravate the problem of environmental management, hinder sustainable development and promote inequalities. As the trajectory continues to show the widening gaps between the haves and the haves-not, it portrays the increasing vulnerabilities especially of the less privileged communities and households. This has been a concern of stakeholders in urban development and sustainable urbanization for long. Against that background, this paper appraises the existing levels of urbanisation, explores various concepts and dimensions of sustainable urbanisation/development, inclusive city/planning, alternative/informal urbanism, and interconnections between them, all in African context, with examples of some select countries. It reviews perspectives and theoretical postulates around informality as a way of life in the region. Having unveiled the inefficiencies in the traditional or 'received' urban planning system and practices and the need for a more pragmatic inclusive urban development planning approach, the paper proposes a comprehensive, multidimensional, multidisciplinary, and multi-sectoral inclusive urban development planning model as a way of achieving sustainable urbanisation and development in sub-Saharan Africa.