An Anlysis of the drivers of large African Urban Development Projects

This research considers how private and public entities across the African continent continue to perpetuate projects that are often refered to as African urban fantasies. It suggests that although very few projects achieve their urban visions, they continue to be marketed based on narratives that include urban concepts such as Eco-Cities , Smart cities, and the promise of sophisticated urban lifestyles based on the principles of New Urbanism . There is growing evidence indicating that these proposed large developments have little relevance to their local context and are usually based on an unrealistic understanding of the market. Moreover, these projects reflect a complicated interrelationships between the objectives of private and public sector players. From a policy perspective it often includes the provision of financial incentives and urban Infrastructure. This research builds on existing reserach. It draws conclusions regarding the objectives, the institutional arrangements, and the challenges that characterise such projects . The research develops a theoretical framework that could be used to better understand the development of large African Urban projects.