Highlighting the value of community voices and city reform coalitions at the World Urban Forum

For the first time in over 20 years, the World Urban Forum is being hosted on the African continent – running from 4-8 November in Cairo.

ACRC is co-convening a session on Wednesday, focused on learning from community voices, universities and knowledge processes. We will also be hosting an informal discussion on Thursday around developing urban reform coalitions, allyships and better partnerships.

Look out for the ACRC exhibition booth where you can chat to us and find out more about our research and future plans.

ACRC has published a new paper exploring the urban development challenges facing Accra, Ghana. Authored by Abdul-Gafaru Abdulai, the report synthesises studies conducted by in-city researchers, exploring how the political landscape and urban systems have influenced the city’s development trajectory and shaped reform processes.

Blog | Abstract | Full report | Research brief

We recently held a webinar exploring ACRC research into how development processes in informal settlements in Accra, Freetown, Harare and Kampala are shaped by their differing political settlements.

Lessons in urban resilience from the floods in Maiduguri

Maiduguri has been severely impacted by devastating floods after a large dam collapsed a few kilometres away. Haruna Ayuba, Abubakar K Monguno, Wilson Joseph, Kingsley L Madueke, Imrana Buba, Babakura Bukar, Abdulmutallib A Abubakar, Yahaya Abubakar and Stephen B Ajadi highlight the main repercussions from the floods and what can be learnt to avoid similar disasters in the future.

Kenya’s school feeding programme: A vital safety net for the most vulnerable learners

Jerry Okal, Rosebella Apollo, Jack Makau, Amollo Ambole, Susan Mwanzia, Wavinya Mutua, Inviolata Njoroge and Lilian Otiso explore Kenya’s school feeding programme and why the initiative should be extended to provide meals for vulnerable children in informal schools – a key objective of an ACRC action research project in the city.

A silent crisis: Addressing the mental health needs of young people in African cities

By 2050, over half of Africa’s population will be under 25. Drawing on ACRC's recently published youth and capability development domain research, this blog examines the interconnected factors driving a mental health crisis among urban youth in Africa.

ACRC hosts action research stakeholder meeting in Nairobi

ACRC is preparing to implement four co-designed action research projects across Nairobi, aimed at improving living conditions among residents of informal settlements. In partnership with SDI-Kenya, the Nairobi city team held a workshop in October to convene key stakeholders in the city to discuss the proposed projects.

Abdul-Gafaru Abdulai joins Chris Jordan to talk about the major findings from ACRC’s urban development research in Accra, discussing how the city has changed over the last 25 years and the slow progress being made towards improving service delivery in disadvantaged areas.

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Following the major floods in Maiduguri, Babakura Bukar speaks to Chris Jordan about the catastrophic impact on residents, the factors contributing to the dam collapse and what needs to be done to avoid future disasters.

Listen via our website | Apple | Spotify | Buzzsprout