Harnessing Urbanization to End Poverty and Boost Prosperity in Africa

Urbanization is the single most important transformation that the African continent will undergo this century. More than half of Africa's population will live in its cities by 2040. In the face of rapid urbanization, there is a narrow window of opportunity to harness the potential of cities as engines of economic growth, and use this as a powerful leverage to achieve sustainable development and poverty reduction. Despite its rapid urban growth, Africa is less than halfway through the urbanization process and in some countries, a large number of people reside in rural areas. Rapid urbanization, if well managed, can curb urban sprawl, deteriorating access to services, greater inequality, and increased crime. The concentration of people in cities also elevates the risks and costs associated with extreme weather and natural disasters resulting from climate change. The World Bank Group's (WBGs) support will focus on three key areas: metropolitan areas and large cities; secondary and tertiary cities; and informal settlements. This will include both multi-sectoral investment programs that integrate a basket of services (for example, upgrading of electricity, water, sanitation, roads, drains in unplanned settlements); and sector specific projects (for example, in urban water, solid waste, and transport) to improve the effectiveness of service delivery. This paper is organized in following chapters: chapter one discusses why is it urgent to get Africa's urbanization right?; chapter two gives the vision for efficient, inclusive, and sustainable urbanization; chapter three presents priorities for Africa's policymakers; and chapter four deals with working with Africa to support efficient, inclusive, and sustainable cities.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	World Bank
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2013-09
Subjects:	ACCESS TO SERVICES, ADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AGGLOMERATION ECONOMIES, AIR, AIR POLLUTION, BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE, BOTTLENECKS, BROWNFIELDS, BUS, BUS DEPOTS, BUSES, CAPACITY BUILDING, CAPITAL FORMATION, CAPITAL INVESTMENT, CAPITAL INVESTMENTS, CAPITAL MARKETS, CARS, CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, CITIZEN, CITY DEVELOPMENT, CITY DWELLERS, CITY GOVERNMENTS, CITY PLANNING, CITY SIZE, CLIMATE CHANGE, COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE, COMPETITIVE MARKETS, COMPLEX TASK, CONGESTION, CREDITWORTHINESS, DEBT, DECISION MAKING, DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, DEVELOPMENT PLANS, DRAINAGE, DRINKING WATER, DRIVERS, DRIVING, ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, ECONOMIC CHANGE, ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC GROWTH, ECONOMIC PRODUCTIVITY, ECONOMICS, ECONOMIES OF SCALE, EMISSIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL, ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS, ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION, ENVIRONMENTAL EXTERNALITIES, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, EXPENDITURES, FAMILY MEMBERS, FINANCING OF INFRASTRUCTURE, FISCAL POLICIES, FLOOR AREA, FLOOR AREA RATIO, FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT, FUTURE GENERATIONS, GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT, HIGH-SPEED RAIL, HIGHWAYS, HOUSEHOLD LEVEL, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, HOUSING MARKETS, HUMAN SETTLEMENTS, ILLNESS, INDUSTRIALIZATION, INFORMAL HOUSING, INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS, INFORMATION SYSTEMS, INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADING, INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY, INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, JOB CREATION, LABOR FORCE, LAND USE, LARGE CITIES, LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE, LEGAL FRAMEWORK, LEVELS OF PRODUCTIVITY, LIVING STANDARDS, LOCAL DEVELOPMENT, LOCAL ECONOMY, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, LOCAL TRANSPORT, MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, MIGRATION, MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS, MOBILITY, MORTALITY, MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS, NATIONAL BORDERS, NATIONAL INCOME, NATIONAL LEVEL, NATURAL DISASTERS, NATURAL RESOURCE, NATURAL RESOURCES, NEIGHBORHOODS, OIL, OIL PRICES, POLICY DIALOGUE, POLICY INSTRUMENTS, POLICY MAKERS, POLICY RESEARCH, POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER, POLLUTION, POPULATION DENSITIES, POPULATION DENSITY, POPULATION DIVISION, POPULATION GROWTH, POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTION, PRACTITIONERS, PRIVATE PROPERTY, PROGRESS, PROPERTY RIGHTS, PROVISION OF INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC GOODS, PUBLIC HEALTH, PUBLIC SERVICES, PUBLIC TRANSPORT, PUBLIC WORKS, QUALITY OF LIFE, RAIL, RAIL NETWORK, RATES OF GROWTH, RECREATION, REGIONAL BANKS, REGIONAL TRANSPORT, REGULATORY REGIMES, REGULATORY SUPPORT, RESEARCH AGENDA, RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, RISING DEMAND, RISK MANAGEMENT, ROAD, ROAD IMPROVEMENT, ROADS, RURAL AREAS, RURAL POPULATION, SANITATION, SEA LEVEL, SECONDARY CITIES, SERVICE DELIVERY, SERVICE PROVIDERS, SERVICE SECTORS, SEWERAGE, SLUMS, SOCIAL AFFAIRS, SOCIAL BENEFITS, SOCIAL EQUITY, SOCIAL IMPACT, SOCIAL INCLUSION, SOLID WASTE, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT, STAKEHOLDERS, STRATEGIC PRIORITIES, SUSTAINABLE CITIES, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, SUSTAINABLE GROWTH, TAXIS, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, TOWN DEVELOPMENT, TRAFFIC, TRANSPORT, TRANSPORT AUTHORITY, TRANSPORT COSTS, TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT INVESTMENT, TRANSPORT MODES, TRANSPORT POLICY, TRANSPORT SECTOR, TRANSPORT SYSTEMS, TRANSPORTATION, TRAVEL TIME, TREATMENT SERVICES, TRUE, UNPLANNED SETTLEMENTS, URBAN AREAS, URBAN CENTER, URBAN DEVELOPMENT, URBAN DWELLERS, URBAN ENVIRONMENT, URBAN GROWTH, URBAN GROWTH RATE, URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE, URBAN INVESTMENTS, URBAN ISSUES, URBAN LAND, URBAN MANAGEMENT, URBAN MIGRATION, URBAN MOBILITY, URBAN POLICIES, URBAN POOR, URBAN POPULATION, URBAN POPULATIONS, URBAN POVERTY, URBAN ROAD, URBAN ROADS, URBAN SECTOR, URBAN SERVICES, URBAN SPRAWL, URBAN STAKEHOLDERS, URBAN TRANSFORMATION, URBAN TRANSPORT, URBAN TRANSPORT SYSTEMS, URBANIZATION, URBANIZATION PROCESS, URBANIZED COUNTRIES, UTILITIES, VEHICLE, VULNERABILITY, WASTE MANAGEMENT, WEALTH, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, WORLD POPULATION,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/09/18417628/harnessing-urbanization-end-poverty-boost-prosperity-africa-action-agenda-transformation https://hdl.handle.net/10986/16657
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