Colonial legacies: Shaping African cities

J. Vernon Henderson, Cong Peng and Neeraj Baruah

No 15327, CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers

Abstract: Institutions persisting from colonial rule affect the spatial structure and conditions under which 100’s of millions of people live in Sub-Saharan African cities. In a sample of 318 cities, Francophone cities have more compact development than Anglophone, overall, in older colonial sections, and at clear extensive margins long after the colonial era. Compactness covers intensity of land use, gridiron road structures, and leapfrogging of new developments. Why the difference? Under British indirect and dual mandate rule, colonial and native sections developed without coordination. In contrast, integrated city planning and land allocation were featured in French direct rule. These differences in planning traditions persist.

Keywords: Colonialism; Persistence; Africa; Sprawl; Urban planning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-his and nep-ure
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Colonial legacies: Shaping African cities (2021)
Working Paper: Colonial legacies: shaping African cities (2020)
Working Paper: Colonial Legacies: Shaping African Cities (2017)
Working Paper: Colonial legacies: shaping African cities (2017)
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