Planning With Machines, Dreaming With People: Relational Accountability and the Future of AI‐Driven Urbanism in Africa

Dodzi Koku Hattoh
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Dodzi Koku Hattoh: Department of Philosophy & Classics, University of Ghana, Ghana / Bonn Sustainability AI Lab, University of Bonn, Germany

Urban Planning, 2026, vol. 11

Abstract: African cities are undergoing rapid transformation, with a growing share of the population projected to reside in urban areas by 2050. This commentary examines both the promise and limitations of AI‐driven urban planning through a relational accountability lens. It argues that AI should not stand apart from the urban contexts it shapes but be embedded within governance systems that recognise the interdependence of social, technical, and ecological systems. Thus, by combining participatory governance, ethical foresight, and sustainability, AI can support urban futures that are not only efficient and innovative but also just, inclusive, resilient, and ecologically grounded.

Keywords: African cities; AI‐driven urbanism; participatory planning; relational accountability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cog:urbpla:v11:y:2026:a:12084

DOI: 10.17645/up.12084

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