9th Urbanization and Development Conference

African countries are urbanising at faster rates than any other region in history. This offers an important opportunity for growth and development. By bringing people and firms together, cities enable industrialisation, the sharing of ideas and innovation, and opportunities for trade. Cities also offer the promise of access to critical goods and services, and in the face of the climate crisis, they play an important role in adaptation and mitigation. However, if the downsides of density are not managed well, this can result in congestion, pollution, and the exacerbation of poverty. 

The 9th Urbanization and Development Conference is the first iteration of the conference with a regional focus on Africa. It will bring together academics, development practitioners, and urban policy makers to present and discuss questions relating to how research in the growing field of urban economics can help inform difficult policy decisions and the allocation of scarce resources to build productive, liveable, and sustainable cities in Africa. 

The continent can learn from global experience, but effective solutions will also require exploring the unique and varied local realities. Themes will include measuring urban economies and their contributions to growth, as well as how to enhance the benefits of cities through effective land and housing markets, public transport provision, and local service delivery in African cities. The conference welcomes all stakeholders working on city issues to understand which new ideas, methods, and collaborations can bring about the necessary change for urbanisation to lead to prosperity.

There are no associated conference fees and food will be provided. 

Conference registration is now closed. Conference participation will be in person, with live streaming of select key panel discussions. 

Please check the World Bank website for the latest programme and information about the conference. 

There will also be a winter school on urban and regional economics in Africa preceding the conference – more details can be found here: https://econrsa.org/events/winter-school-on-urban-and-regional-economics-in-africa/

Inquiries Contact: 

[email protected] 

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