The Century of Cities

• Kecia Rust: From Informality to Inclusion in Africa’s Housing Revolution

  In this episode of The Century of Cities, we are joined by Kecia Rust, Executive Director at Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa. As the leader of a network spanning 70 organizations across 23 countries, Kecia has spent decades studying how affordability, finance, and policy intersect to determine who gets to call the city home. She traces the evolution of African housing from the constraints of apartheid-era exclusion to today’s rapid urbanization, revealing how outdated financial systems, rigid policies, and colonial legacies still shape access to land, credit, and ownership. Kecia calls for a radical rethinking of informality, not as a failure, but as a force. She argues that embracing the ingenuity of informal builders, young entrepreneurs, and local communities is key to unlocking sustainable, inclusive cities across the continent.

  --------  

  30:37

  --------

  30:37
• Jennifer Hart: Rethinking Expertise in the Making of Modern Accra

  Jennifer Hart, Professor, historian, author, and chair of history at Virginia Tech, joins The Century of Cities to share two decades of insight into Ghana’s urban evolution. Through her work on Accra and her book Making an African City, Hart reveals how colonial legacies, economic shifts, and social resilience have shaped African cities from 1980 to today. She invites us to rethink expertise, arguing that the future of urban development lies not in imported models but in DIY urbanism, the creative, community-led practices that emerge when residents assert their right to the city. From Accra’s Impact Hub to informal neighbourhood initiatives, Hart highlights how ordinary citizens are redefining what progress looks like. Her call to action is clear: it’s time to put communities, not technocrats, at the center of how cities grow.

  --------  

  23:43

  --------

  23:43
• Shuaib Lwasa: Hybrid Cities and the Next Urban Resurgence

  The Century of Cities welcomes Shuaib Lwasa, a Professor at the International Institute of Social Studies and an urban geographer. Drawing on his lived experience in Kampala and decades of research across East Africa, Shuaib reflects on how privatization, elite capture, and market-driven development have reshaped the very idea of the public. He offers both a cautionary and hopeful perspective, envisioning African cities that could either become corporate-run enclaves or evolve through innovation, hybrid urbanism, and grassroots ingenuity toward more inclusive development. Through his lens, we see the potential for reform coalitions that bring together communities, academia, government, and civil society to create transformative, frugal, and culturally grounded urban futures across the continent.

  --------  

  32:42

  --------

  32:42
• Christian Benimana: Designing Purpose, Not Just Skylines

  Christian Benimana, Co-Executive Director and Sr. Principal at MASS Design Group, joins us on The Century of Cities to reflect on how African cities have evolved from post-colonial identities to centers of economic gravity, yet often without a clear sense of purpose. He explores why many urban centers across the continent are now caught between growth and confusion, and why re-imagining identity is essential before we can talk about sustainability. Christian challenges conventional thinking on architecture, participation, and design, arguing that cities are not merely physical spaces but living ideas. He questions whether Africa’s megacities can survive their own momentum, and calls for new models that use technology, culture, and human dignity to shape places that serve people, not just economies.

  --------  

  23:28

  --------

  23:28
• Geci Karuri-Sebina: Frugal Futures and the Power of Local Innovation

  In this episode of The Century of Cities, we’re joined by Geci Karuri-Sebina, scholar-practitioner and Associate Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand School of Governance, who explores how cities across Africa are redefining progress on their own terms. From Nairobi’s post-colonial euphoria of the 1980s to today’s era of innovation and shifting power, Geci traces the evolving story of African urbanism, one shaped by frugal creativity, civic technology, and renewed confidence in indigenous knowledge. She envisions cities built not on Western blueprints but on local strength, shared agency, and radical participation, inviting us to rethink who gets to imagine the future and why Africa’s story may hold lessons for the world. https://www.scribd.com/document/769944552/COMPASS-Summer-Issue-2023

  --------  

  29:34

  --------

  29:34

More Education podcasts

Trending Education podcasts

About The Century of Cities