Cities, Capital and Development African Cities in the World Economy

This study attempts to throw new light on the politico-economic, social and cultural processes which underpin the development of major African cities and shapes their role within the world economy. The distinctive features of the African condition, with its colonial legacy, stark contrasts between wealth and poverty and the external influences of the world economy, are blended with systematic analysis of national and urban modes of production, access to and control over land and shelter, and the nature of formal and popular planning activities. The production and reproduction of cities are shown to be quintessentially social processes.