Power and Informality in Urban Africa: Ethnographic Perspectives (Africa Now)

"Urban Africa is undergoing a transformation unlike anywhere else in the world, as unprecedented numbers of people migrate to rapidly expanding cities. But despite the growing body of work on urban Africa, the lives of these new city dwellers have received relatively little attention, particularly when it comes to crucial issues of power and inequality. This interdisciplinary collection brings together contributions from urban studies, geography, and anthropology to provide new insights into the social and political dynamics of African cities, as well as uncovering the causes and consequences of urban inequality. Featuring rich new ethnographic research data and case studies drawn from across the continent, the collection shows that Africa's new urbanites have adapted to their environs in ways which often defy the assumptions of urban planners. By examining the experiences of these urban residents in confronting issues of power and agency, the contributors consider how such insights can inform more effective approaches to research, city planning and development both in Africa and beyond"-- Provided by publisher Cover 1 Contents 8 List of Figures 9 List of Tables 11 Contributors 12 1 Examining Power and Inequality through Informality in Urban Africa Laura Stark and Annika Teppo 16 Part 1 Gold fever 36 2 Hybrid Governance in an Impermanent Mining Settlement in Burkina Faso Cristiano Lanzano 38 3 Artisanal Gold Mining and Rapid Urbanization in Mali Sidylamine Bagayoko 70 Part 2 Goods, services, needs: actors in the market 90 4 Migratory Youth Porters and Metal Scrap Dealers in Accra Esther Yeboah Danso-Wiredu and Adjoa Afriyie Poku 92 5 Women’s Neighbourhood Vending as a Survival Strategy in Dar es Salaam Tiina-Riitta Lappi 116 6 ‘If Only They Would See us as Honest Workers’: Motorcycle Taxi Drivers’ Rights to Livelihood in Kampala Caroline Wamala-Larsson 134 7 Mobile Phone Theft, Resale, and Violence in Dar es Salaam Laura Stark 156 Part 3 Urban renewal: planning versus implementation 182 8 Youth, Shelter, and Liminal Urbanism in Addis Ababa Susanna Myllylä 184 9 Neighbourhood Open Spaces: Co-production and Spatial Transformation in Addis Ababa Segen Yainshet Tesfamariam, Elias Yitbarek Alemayehu and Laura Stark 206 10 From Musseques to High-rises: Luanda’s Renewal in Times of Abundance and Crisis Cristina Udelsmann Rodrigues 230 Index 251 Examining Power and Informality in Urban Africa / Laura Stark & Annika Teppo -- Hybrid governance in an impermanent mining settlement in Burkina Faso / Cristiano Lanzano -- Artisanal gold mining and rapid urbanisation in Mali / Sidylamine Bagayoko -- Migratory youth porters and metal scrap dealers in Accra / Esther Danso-Wiredu and Adjoa Afriyie -- Women's neighbourhood vending as a survival strategy in Dar es Salaam / Tiina-Riitta Lappi -- 'If only they would see us as honest workers': Motorcycle taxi drivers' rights to livelihood in Kampala / Caroline Wamala-Larsson -- Mobile phone theft, resale and violence in Dar es Salaam / Laura Stark -- Youth, shelter, and liminal urbanism in Addis Ababa / Susanna Myllylä -- Neighbourhood Open Spaces: Co-production and spatial transformation in Addis Ababa / Segen Tesfamarian, Elias Yitbarek Alemayehu and Laura Stark -- From musseque to high-rise: Luanda's renewal in times of abundance and crisis / Cristina Udelsmann Rodrigues A unique collection examining the African urban experience, with a special focus on the causes, consequences and power dynamics of urban inequality