Do flood evictions in Nairobi’s informal settlements violate the law?

Recent floods have left hundreds of people in Nairobi's informal settlements homeless and thousands have been displaced. In a piece for The Conversation Africa, Smith Ouma shared his thoughts on the government’s response and why development plans must consider the needs of informal settlement residents.

This paper explores how the nexus between land and connective infrastructure is shaping the way land is valued, used, transacted, fought over, managed and taxed in five African cities. Authored by Tom Goodfellow, Abdifatah Tahir, Liza Rose Cirolia and Ransford Acheampong, it focuses on how land challenges intersect with connectivity – with the development of transport and mobility infrastructures, and emerging digital infrastructures.

Blog | Abstract | Full report | Research summary

ACRC's land and connectivity domain team hosted a webinar in May, covering key findings from the research in Accra, Bukavu, Harare, Kampala, Maiduguri and Mogadishu. Chaired by Liza Rose Cirolia, Tom Goodfellow and Abdifatah Tahir, the webinar explored insights from the cities studied, including land governance arrangements in different cities and the factors shaping land value.

Lilongwe is the capital of Malawi and its largest city, home to about 1 million residents – three quarters of whom live in informal settlements. This research – led by Donald Brown, Mtafu Manda and Tuntu Mwalyambwile – throws light on the political dynamics and city systems underpinning urban development in Lilongwe.

Blog | Abstract | Full report | Research brief

The largest city in northeast Nigeria and the capital of Borno State, Maiduguri faces multifaceted challenges stemming from endemic poverty, governance gaps and the lasting impact of the Boko Haram insurgency. In this report, Imrana Buba, Abubakar K Monguno, Haruna Ayuba, Kingsley L Madueke and Stephen B Ajadi present insights into the city’s complex political landscape and prospects for urban reform.

Blog | Abstract | Full report | Research brief

Global food insecurity has increased in the face of a series of crises and related price hikes. This research – led by Cecilia Tacoli, Rachel Tolhurst and Paul Currie – focuses on factors impacting the uptake of healthy diets in five African cities and explores how policymakers, consumers and key actors in urban food and health systems engage with the concept of healthy diets.

Blog | Abstract | Full report | Research summary

Freetown accounts for 15% of Sierra Leone’s total population and 35% of its entire urban population, generating 30% of the country’s GDP. Authored by Joseph Macarthy, this paper examines the politics, systems and key urban development domains in Freetown, highlighting how national, city and domain-level power and politics interact and the implications for solving intractable development challenges.

Blog | Abstract | Full report | Research brief

Kate Lines, Elizabeth Dessie and Ezana Haddis Weldeghebrael recently ran a session introducing ACRC's new urban reform database at the RISE Africa Action Festival, exploring recent examples featured on the platform.

Localising and decolonising ACRC

From the outset of ACRC, we’ve been discussing how we can better localise decision-making and decolonise knowledge processes. We have sought to prioritise African expertise within the consortium partnership, to increase African leadership within the senior management team (SMT) and to undertake research and uptake activities primarily through local city teams.

Two new blog posts explore feedback and suggestions around our approach to decolonisation, and the actions we are taking to address these.