In a world of disruptions and seemingly endless complexity, cities have become - perhaps more than ever - central to thinking about the future of humanity. Yet rarely has the study of cities been more fragmented among different silos of expertise, diverse genres of scholarship, and widening chasms between theory and practice. How can we do better? Cities Rethought&nbsp;suggests that we need to remake the way we see and know cities in order to rethink how we act and intervene within them. To this end, it offers the contours of a new&nbsp;urban disposition. This disposition, articulated through its normative, analytical, and operational elements, offers an opportunity for scholars, practitioners, and citizens alike to approach the complexity of cities anew, and find ways to rethink both scholarly analyses as well as modes of practice. Written collectively for a wide audience, the text draws from cities across the global north and south, speaks across diverse genres of ideas, and reflects on the lived experience of the authors as both researchers and practitioners. It is an essential text for anyone committed to knowing their own cities as well as finding ways to meaningfully intervene in them.

Cities Rethought: A New Urban Disposition

Politics & Social Sciences

Pieterse, Edgar

Keith, Michael

Parnell, Susan

Bhan, Gautam

Social Sciences

Polity

Africa's Urban Revolution

The facts of Africa's rapid urbanisation are startling. By 2030 African cities will have grown by more than 350 million people and the continent will have surpassed the 50% urban mark. Yet, in the minds of policy makers, scholars and much of the general public, Africa remains a quintessential rural place. This lack of awareness and robust analysis means it is difficult to make a policy case for a more overtly 'urban agenda'. As a result, there is, across the continent, insufficient urgency directed to responding to the challenges and opportunities associated with the world's last major wave of urbanisation. Drawing on the expertise of scholars and practitioners associated with the African Centre for Cities, and utilising a diverse array of case studies, the book provides comprehensive insight into the key issues - demographic, cultural, political, technical, environmental and economic - surrounding African urbanization.

History

Pieterse, Doctor Edgar

Africa

Zed Books

The facts of Africa's rapid urbanisation are startling. By 2030 African cities will have grown by more than 350 million people and the continent will have surpassed the 50% urban mark. Yet, in the minds of policy makers, scholars and much of the general public, Africa remains a quintessential rural place. This lack of awareness and robust analysis means it is difficult to make a policy case for a more overtly 'urban agenda'. As a result, there is, across the continent, insufficient urgency directed to responding to the challenges and opportunities associated with the world's last major wave of urbanisation. Drawing on the expertise of scholars and practitioners associated with the African Centre for Cities, and utilising a diverse array of case studies, the book provides comprehensive insight into the key issues - demographic, cultural, political, technical, environmental and economic - surrounding African urbanization.

With the signing of new sustainable development goals in 2016, marking a new phase of global development focused on ecologically and fiscally sustainable human settlements, few countries offer a better testing ground than post-Apartheid South Africa. Since the coming to power of the African National Congress, the country has undergone a revolution in policy, driven by an urgent need to improve access to services for the country’s black majority. Twenty years after the end of Apartheid, Building a CapableState asks what lessons can be learned from the South African experience. The book assesses whether the South African government has succeeded in improving key services, focusing on the vital sectors of water and sanitation, energy, roads, and public transport. Emphasizing the often-overlooked role of local government institutions, Building a CapableState demonstrates that effective service delivery can have a profound effect on the social structure of emerging economies, and must form an integral part of any future development strategy. Employing a detailed, country-focused case study, this book will be essential reading for practitioners of public policy and researchers across the social sciences.

Building a Capable State: Service Delivery in Post-Apartheid South Africa

Palmer, Ian

Moodley, Nishendra

Sociology

Uniting a Divided City

For many, Johannesburg resembles the imagined spectre of the urban future. Global anxieties about catastrophic urban explosion, social fracture, environmental degradation, escalating crime and violence, and rampant consumerism alongside grinding poverty, are projected onto this city as a microcosm of things to come. Decision-makers in cities worldwide have attempted to balance harsh fiscal and administrative realities with growing demands for political, economic and social justice. This book investigates pragmatic approaches to urban economic development, service delivery, spatial restructuring, environmental sustainability and institutional reform in Johannesburg. It explores the conditions and processes that are determining the city's transformation into a cosmopolitan metropole and magnet for the continent.

Uniting a Divided City: Governance and Social Exclusion in Johannesburg

Beall, Jo

Crankshaw, Owen

Reference

Routledge

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