PD4: mitigating conflict and violence in Africa’s rapidly growing cities

Jo Beall and Sean Fox

LSE Research Online Documents on Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library

Abstract: Over the past 50 years, the urban population of sub-Saharan Africa has expanded at a historically unprecedented rate. Although there is little evidence that urbanisation increases the likelihood of conflict or violence in a country, Africa’s urban transition has occurred in a context of economic stagnation and poor governance, producing conditions conducive to social unrest and violence. In order to improve urban security in the years ahead the underlying risk factors must be addressed, including urban poverty, inequality and fragile political institutions. This, in turn, requires improving urban governance in the region, including strengthening the capacity of local government institutions, addressing the complex political dynamics that impede effective urban planning and management, and cultivating integrated development strategies that involve cooperation between various tiers and spheres of government and civil society.

JEL-codes: O2 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 18 pages
Date: 2011
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