History of African Cities

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

In a 2021 article, the Washington Post refers to African cities like Lagos and Khartoum as the “center of the world’s urban future.” Why and how are African cities central to discourses about futurity and urbanism? This course invites students to explore the evolution of cities on the continent of Africa and the innovative ways that its residents have developed to contend with everyday challenges. The first part of the course will focus on the rise and transformation of cities before and after the era of the slave trade, under colonial rule, and independent states. During this unit and the next one, we will address the following question: how have everyday people and policymakers adjusted to and shaped the cities’ shifting political and economic atmosphere? The second half will turn to how diverse actors such as architects, government officials, novelists, urban planners, young people, and garbage workers engaged with neoliberal policies and imagined new possibilities. We will consider themes such as governance, infrastructure, urban planning, and spatial practices. This course will enable students to think critically about the key themes and debates that have informed the field of African urbanism.