Dean's Lecture Series: The Case for City-level Innovation Ecosystems in Africa

Amid dramatic urban expansion, sustainable urbanism imperatives in Africa and the global south cannot be addressed through conventional urban development policy frameworks. Yet, it is difficult to grasp what constitutes fair sustainable urbanisation policy in the face of systemic inequality, institutional decay and hollow discourse. In this lecture, Professor Edgar Pieterse explored the dimensions of a working canvas that can accommodate emergent urban experiments in Africa that is just, culturally-attuned and resonant. Prof Pieterse is the Founding Director of the African Centre for Cities at the University of Cape Town. His research and teaching explore urban imaginaries, alternative futures, sustainable urban infrastructure, place-making, public cultures, responsive design and adaptive governance systems