PLANNING PERSPECTIVES _ Special Issue: African Urban Planning Histories

 

PLANNING PERSPECTIVES

Special Issue: African Urban Planning Histories

Guest Edited by Carlos Nunes Silva

Table of Contents

Planning Perspectives - Special Issue on African Urban Planning Histories

Planning Perspectives
An International Journal of History, Planning and the Environment

Special Issue on African Urban Planning Histories

Table of Contents

Silva, Carlos Nunes (2026). Editorial – African Urban Planning Histories. Planning Perspectives, Vol. 41 (4), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1080/02665433.2026.2687337

Harrison, P., & Todes, A. (2026). Planning’s promises: reflections on South African experiences in the African context. Planning Perspectives, Vol. 41 (4), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/02665433.2025.2565375

 

Du Plessis, D. J. (2026). Spatial plan quality trends in post-apartheid South African municipalities. Planning Perspectives, Vol. 41 (4), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/02665433.2026.2636017

 

Smode Cvitanović, M., & Čavlović, M. (2026). A tacit feedback – reflections of work in Africa on the architectural and planning practices of socialist Croatia. Planning Perspectives, Vol. 41 (4), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/02665433.2026.2630401

 

Matamanda, A. R., Matooane, L. S., Bhanye, J. I., Mocwagae, K., & Marais, L. (2026). Spatial planning legacies and unauthorized land occupations in South Africa’s urban peripheries. Planning Perspectives, Vol. 41 (4), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/02665433.2026.2615139

 

Mazhar, N. (2026). Planning after the fact. Planning Perspectives, Vol. 41 (4), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/02665433.2026.2652449

 

Abdelmalek, H. (2026). Between codification and custom: law 08/15, informality, and Islamic urban ethics in postcolonial Béchar. Planning Perspectives, Vol. 41 (4), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/02665433.2025.2591066

 

Carabelli, R. (2026). Becoming dissonance: the path of recent urban heritage in Casablanca (Morocco). Planning Perspectives, Vol. 41 (4), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/02665433.2025.2606735

 

Troux, M., & Philifert, P. (2026). The renewal of historic urban areas in Morocco: challenges and limits on the new ‘housing at risk of collapse’ policy. Planning Perspectives, Vol. 41 (4), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/02665433.2026.2629291

 

Williams, S., & Carolini, G. Y. (2026). Grounding infrastructure: community ownership of an international cooperation project in Kibera, Nairobi. Planning Perspectives, Vol. 41 (4), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/02665433.2026.2613119

 

Studer, H. (2026). Water practices: communal water rights in Moroccan river oases in times of climate change. Planning Perspectives, Vol. 41 (4), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/02665433.2026.2614301

 

Bishi, H. (2026). ‘Crony planning’: limits to the public-private partnership model in urban marketplace modernization in Lagos, Nigeria. Planning Perspectives, Vol. 41 (4), 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/02665433.2025.2591072

 

Hugo, M., Nel, V., & Bhanye, J. (2026). The quest for inclusive transit-oriented development in Mangaung, South Africa. Planning Perspectives, Vol. 41 (4), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/02665433.2026.2631684

AAG 2027 _ AUPRN Session on 'African Urban and Regional Planning: Challenges and Innovations'

AAG 2027

AUPRN Session on 'African Urban and Regional Planning: Challenges and Innovations'

 New York, USA, 8 - 12 February 2027

 

Sponsored by

AAG Specialty Group - Urban Geography

International Journal of E-Planning Research (IJEPR)

African Mansions on the Gold Coast. How the Elites Resisted Colonialism with Status and Modernity

Courtnay Micots (2026). African Mansions on the Gold Coast. How the Elites Resisted Colonialism with Status and Modernity. New York: Routledge, 225 pages

Symposium of Urban Design History and Theory

 

Symposium of Urban Design History and Theory

5th African Symposium on Climate Change Adaptation

 

5th African Symposium on Climate Change Adaptation

Thu, 18 Feb 2027 – Fri, 19 Feb 2027

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Urban Governance and Contested Market Redevelopment in Ghana

 Asante, L. and Helbrecht, I. (2026) Urban Governance and Contested Market Redevelopment in Ghana. Edinburgh, UK: Edinburgh University Press. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3366/9781399531757.

Extra/ordinary Johannesburg. Centrality, periphery, and the spaces between

 

Lindsay Blair Howe (2026). Extra/ordinary Johannesburg. 

Centrality, periphery, and the spaces between.

London: UCL Press (Series: Urban Africa)

Handbook on Rural-Urban Linkages inthe Global South

Cecilia Tacoli , Jytte Agergaard, Manja HoppeAndreasen, and Donald Brown (Eds.) (2025). Handbook on Rural-Urban Linkages inthe Global South. Edward Elgar (ISBN: 9781802207705)

State of African Cities Report 2026

 

UN HABITAT (2026). State of African Cities Report 2026: Harnessing the Value of Urban Land for Socioeconomic Transformation in African cities. Nairobi: UN-HABITAT.

Progress made in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda in Africa (2022 - 2026)​

 

UN-HABITAT (2026). Progress made in the implementation

 of the New Urban Agenda in Africa (2022 - 2026)​

Journal of Race, Ethnicity and the City

Journal of Race, Ethnicity and the City

URBAN AFRICA BOOK SERIES

 

International African Institute

URBAN AFRICA BOOK SERIES

Co-production of Knowledge in Action: Emancipatory strategies for urban equality

Cassidy Johnson, Vanesa Castán Broto, Wilbard Kombe,Catalina Ortiz, Barbara Lipietz, Emmanuel Osuteye and Caren Levy (Eds.) (2025). Co-production of Knowledge in Action: Emancipatory strategies for urban equality. London: UCL Press. 

Open access (pdf): https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10213182/1/Co-production-of-Knowledge-in-Action.pdf

Urban Displacement and Trade in a Senegalese Market. An anthropology of endings

 

Gunvor Jónsson (2024). Urban Displacement and Trade in a Senegalese Market. 

An anthropology of endings. London: UCL (Urban Series)

AAG 2026 - Session on "African Urban and Regional Planning"

AAG Annual Meeting, 17 - 21 March 2026

San Francisco, California, USA

AUPRN Session on 'African Urban and Regional Planning'

10th International Conference on Urban e-Planning

 

10th International Conference on Urban e-Planning

Lisbon, Portugal, 8 - 10 April 2028

IJEPR in Elsevier´ ScienceDirect platform

View the IJEPR on the ScienceDirect platform here

The 'International Journal of E-Planning Research' (IJEPR) is now hosted live on ScienceDirect, Elsevier's world-leading platform dedicated to peer-reviewed scientific research.

The IJEPR is now accessible on ScienceDirect and through the platform's AI-driven discovery tools. 

By making the IJEPR easier to find and cite, its inclusion on ScienceDirect enhances discoverability, increases visibility, and supports stronger publishing outcomes.

Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan 2020-2030

Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan 2020-2030

SADC Endorses North-South Economic Corridor Concept

 SADC Endorses North-South Economic Corridor Concept

SADC Statistics

 SADC Statistics

AFRICAN ECONOMIC OUTLOOK 2025

 AFRICAN ECONOMIC OUTLOOK 2025

AFRICAN STATISTICAL YEARBOOK 2023 (publ. August 2025)

 AFRICAN STATISTICAL YEARBOOK 2023

(African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Union Commission (AUC), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), 6 August 2025. 

MAP AFRICA

 

MapAfrica exploreS the African Development Bank Group's investments across the continent

Africa's Urbanisation Dynamics 2025: Planning for Urban Expansion, West African Studies

OECD et al. (2025), Africa's Urbanisation Dynamics 2025: Planning for Urban Expansion, West African Studies, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/2a47845c-en.

African Studies Journals

 

African Studies Journals

Africapolis - Visualise urbanisation in Africa

Africapolis - Visualise urbanisation in Africa

Africapolis is a research and data visualisation tool used to map, analyse and understand urbanisation and urban growth in Africa

6th World Planning Schools Congress June 29-July 3, 2026

 

WPSC 2026

6th World Planning Schools Congress, June 29-July 3, 2026

Peripheral Visions - Rethinking Planning

Riscos na ilha de Santiago. Pluralidade na diversidade dos Riscos. Livro guia da visita de estudo à ilha de Santiago

 

Sílvia Monteiro & Vera Alfama (2025). Riscos na ilha de Santiago. Pluralidade na diversidade dos Riscos. Livro guia da visita de estudo à ilha de Santiago. V Simpósio Ibero-Afro-Americano de Risco. Cidade da Praia, Santiago: Universidade de Cabo Verde.

Riscos na ilha do Fogo. Das Paisagens Protegidas aos Riscos naturais – Adaptação e Resiliência. Livro guia de apoio ao Workshop da ilha do Fogo

 

Vera Alfama & Sónia Silva Victória (2025). Riscos na ilha do Fogo. Das Paisagens Protegidas aos Riscos naturais – Adaptação e Resiliência. Livro guia de apoio ao Workshop da ilha do Fogo. V Simpósio Ibero-Afro-Americano de Risco. Cidade da Praia, Santiago: Universidade de Cabo Verde.

Riscos na ilha do Maio. Das Paisagens Protegidas aos Riscos Naturais – Adaptação e Resiliência. Livro guia de apoio ao Workshop da ilha do Maio

 

Sónia Silva Victória; Lourdes Gonçalves & Ineida Carvalho (2025). Riscos na ilha do Maio. Das Paisagens Protegidas aos Riscos Naturais – Adaptação e Resiliência. Livro guia de apoio ao Workshop da ilha do Maio. V Simpósio Ibero-Afro-Americano de Risco. Cidade da Praia, Santiago: Universidade de Cabo Verde.

Territorial Governance and Spatial Transformation in Post-apartheid South Africa

Daniel Du Plessis (2025). Territorial Governance and Spatial Transformation in Post-apartheid South Africa. Cham: Springer (Book Series: Local and Urban Governance). 

The book provides a reflective account of the evolution of the territorial governance structures and processes in South Africa over a period of 30 years after the transition to a post-apartheid society in 1994. It also considers the role and influence of these changing governance institutions and processes and their associated outputs (in the form of policies and plans) on several priority dimensions of urban spatial transformation. The synthesis of the experiences and lessons learnt provides the bases for contemplating important future focus areas for territorial governance such as spatial transformation towards smart cities, an African perspective for future South African cities, and transitioning towards a streamlined integrated territorial governance system. The lessons and experiences are not only of local significance in South Africa, but also globally in countries and regions faced with territorial governance and spatial transformation challenges. 

FRONT MATTER >

LOCAL AND URBAN GOVERNANCE - BOOK SERIES > 

Urban Water Governance in Postcolonial Zimbabwe

Abraham R Matamanda; Tazviona R Gambe; Johannes I Bhanye; Tafadzwa C Maramura & Oratilwe Khoza  (2025). Urban Water Governance in Postcolonial Zimbabwe. Cham: Springer (Book Series: Local and Urban Governance). 

This book focuses on urban water supply and governance in the Global South using urban Zimbabwe as a case study to provide insights and perspectives into the realities of the water governance. Applying a resilience and sustainability perspective, we argue that fragmentation of responsibilities between various institutions, the difficulty of coordination at various levels, and the politics centered on water supply constrain effective water governance in Zimbabwe. This has resulted in a downward spiral in urban water services in Zimbabwe's urban centers. Additionally, the innovative nature of this study is to draw from an often-neglected dimension in urban water governance, which is the political ecology which brings into perspective the varying int1erests associated with environmental contests and conflicts that influence water allocation and sharing among urban areas by the public sector. Therefore, this book dwells on understanding the politics, economic and ecology of water governance through an interdisciplinary lens. This analysis is critical for this study because Zimbabwe's current state of obsolete water infrastructure has also had a negative impact on the supply of high-quality portable water services to the public in urban areas. This book will be a critical read for academic and professionals in the fields of urban geographers, planners, sociologists and water experts. It will also be useful for undergraduate and postgraduate students from Geography, Urban and regional Planning, Political Science, Development Studies and Economics. 

FRONT MATTER >

LOCAL AND URBAN GOVERNANCE - BOOK SERIES >

AEGIS - AFRICAN STUDIES IN EUROPE

AEGIS (originally an acronym for ‘Africa-Europe Group for Interdisciplinary Studies’) is a network organisation made up of Europe-based member institutions connected to research and education on and in Africa and African Studies. 

World Congress of Architects - Barcelona. UIA 2026

UIA 2026 -  World Congress of Architects

Barcelona, 28 June - 2 July 2026

CABO VERDE - INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE GESTÃO DO TERRITÓRIO (INGT)

 CABO VERDE - INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE GESTÃO DO TERRITÓRIO (INGT)

IGU Regional Conference (IRC 2026) Istanbul, Türkiye

 

IGU Regional Conference (IRC 2026) Istanbul, Türkiye 

Hybrid Urbanisms in Secondary Cities of the Global South. Insights from Urban Planning and Infrastructure Delivery in Ghana and Peru

Christian Rosen & Nina Gribat (Eds.) (2025). Hybrid Urbanisms in Secondary Cities of the Global South. Insights from Urban Planning and Infrastructure Delivery in Ghana and Peru. London/New York: Routledge, ISBN 9781032840864, 194 Pages (OPEN ACCESS)

Advancing Urban-Rural Linkages: Digital Technology and Innovative Solutions for Food Flows and Territorial Resilience in East Africa

UN-HABITAT (2025). Advancing Urban-Rural Linkages: Digital Technology and Innovative Solutions for Food Flows and Territorial Resilience in East Africa. Nairobi: UN-Habitat.

ASA - AFRICAN STUDIES ASSOCIATION

ASA - AFRICAN STUDIES ASSOCIATION

The Making of An African City: How Harare Grew Over Centuries.

 

Davison Muchadenyika (2025). The Making of An African City: How Harare Grew Over Centuries.

 

61st ISOCARP World Planning Congress

Cities & Regions in Action:
Planning Pathways to Resilience and Quality of Life
1-4 December 2025

Location: Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

V Simpósio Ibero-Afro-Americano de Riscos

V Simpósio Ibero-Afro-Americano de Riscos, subordinado ao tema “Território, Desenvolvimento e Riscos: das estratégias globais às ações locais”

Cape Verde, 8 – 10 July 2025 

A Associação Portuguesa de Riscos, Prevenção e Segurança (RISCOS), em colaboração com o Centro de Investigação em Desenvolvimento Local e Ordenamento de Território (CIDLOT), da Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnología da Universidade de Cabo Verde (FCTCV), e o Departamento de Geografia e Turismo da Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Coimbra, e com os seus parceiros Institucionais, está a organizar o V Simpósio Ibero-Afro-Americano de Riscos, subordinado ao tema “Território, Desenvolvimento e Riscos: das estratégias globais às ações locais”, que decorrerá, num sistema misto (presencial e online - videoconferência via Teams), entre os dias 8, 9, e 10 de julho de 2025, em Cabo Verde.

 

Regional Policy in the Southern African Development Community

J. Ernst Drewes, Mariske van Aswegen (Eds.) (2024). Regional Policy in the Southern African Development Community. London: Routledge.

Multilayered Vulnerability Profile for Kerkennah Archipelago, Tunisia

UN-HABITAT (2025). Multilayered Vulnerability Profile for Kerkennah Archipelago, Tunisia. Nairobi: UN-Habitat.

L’urbanisme qui inspire les francophonies

 L’urbanisme qui inspire les francophonies

Divisão dos Países de Língua Portuguesa em Nomes Geográficos - IBGE

 

Divisão dos Países de Língua Portuguesa em Nomes Geográficos - IBGE

Multilayered Vulnerability Profile for Debre Birhan City, Ethiopia

UN-HABITAT (2025). Multilayered Vulnerability Profile for Debre Birhan City, Ethiopia. 

Nairobi: UN-Habitat.

New Urbanist Books

New Urbanist Books

Building urban resilience and climate adaptation in African small island developing states after the COVID-19 crisis

UN-HABITAT (2025). Building urban resilience and climate adaptation in African small island developing states after the COVID-19 crisis. Nairobi: UN-Habitat.