Approaches to providing sustainable energy in cities have generated considerable interest in academic and policy circles. The development of this body of work, however, has not shed much light on the modes of intermediation that are needed to reconfigure urban energy systems towards sustainability in energy-poor countries. This paper focuses on the role of academics as knowledge intermediaries who can trigger cross-sector collaborations around innovations for a sustainable energy transition in African cities. The research presented here was generated by an interdisciplinary research team made up of partners in Kenya, Uganda and South Africa. The research partners set out to better understand how sustainable energy transitions can be achieved through collaborative efforts between community members, experts and policy actors in the three countries. This paper provides evidence-based reflections on how the research partners used participatory methods to facilitate solution co-design and knowledge co-production over a period of two years under the Leading Integrated Research for Agenda 2030 in Africa (LIRA 2030) program. A key knowledge outcome of the research partnership is an improved understanding of how transdisciplinary research across the sub-region can be used to unearth the socio-spatial, cultural and political dimensions of energy in relation to other urban services such as health and housing. Based on this understanding, the paper proposes transdisciplinary co-design as a promising approach to providing sustainable energy in urban informal settlements in Sub-Saharan Africa."…leaders in government, the private sector and civil society to drive further, faster action toward achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7, which calls for universal access to sustainable energy by 2030, and the Paris Climate Agreement, which calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit climate warming to below 2 degrees Celsius." [3].Launched at the UN General assembly in 2011, SEforALL has three main objectives of: "ensuring universal access to modern energy services, doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency, and doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix." (ibid).This paper focuses on the role of academics in this push for sustainable energy for all. As knowledge intermediaries, academics are well placed to facilitate cross-sector collaborations around innovations for sustainable energy transition, more so in the case of African cities that are some of the fasted growing in the world [4]. We reflect on our own work as knowledge intermediaries and integrators by situating our

Urban development in Africa is a very diverse and ambivalent phenomenon with aspects that do not fall neatly into global standards. Informal settlements therefore challenge governance by standards. We argue that quantifying and interrogating differences offers a better basis for governance. By drawing on a comparative analysis of three different informal settlements in Sub-Saharan Africa, this paper explores what differences reveal about the governance of informal settlements. The paper uses an urban societal metabolism approach, focussed on gender, energy and health, based on questionnaires and focus group discussions in Enkanini (Stellenbosch, South Africa), Mathare (Nairobi, Kenya), and Kasubi-Kawaala (Kampala, Uganda). The contribution of the paper is both empirical and theoretical. Empirically, we provide new evidence about the metabolism of urban informality at multiple levels of analysis: the individual, the household and the settlement. Findings show the gender asymmetries in urban poverty and the intricate links between energy choices, health and economic status. Theoretically, we argue that different levels of analysis produce different understandings of urban informality, and that analyzing informal settlements only by population aggregates means missing information. We conclude by arguing that understanding differences leads to the formulation of modest and localised goals, which are better able to take into account the complexity of urban informality.

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This paper pilots a different approach to the study of informal settlements, typically conceived as chaotic, disorganised, and lacking social cohesion. We provide a different reading of social life in an informal settlement. While its social life may be different from other parts of the urban metropolis, its social relations are not absent. Through the use of network theory, we will demonstrate that social relations in settlements have developed a considerable level of complexity.Using the case study of Mathare Valley, an informal settlement in Nairobi, we explore the dynamics of social networks with the aim of providing a more integrated understanding of life in slums. Based on survey data, focus groups/workshops and interviews, we established that residents depend on a network of strong, highly familial ties. Life is typically defined by neighbourhood bonds and friendship. This structure underpins the development of referral systems to access services and find work. The settlement has a syncretic governance structure made up of governmental and self-styled leaders who act as gatekeepers to varying degrees. We geocoded data to conduct a more detailed social network analysis, which revealed the positive attributes of networking as opportunities for innovation and forming weaker ties within and beyond the settlement. The negative aspects of strong ties lead to the exclusion of more vulnerable residents. In conclusion, we propose the social networks approach as essential in understanding informal settlements. A holistic understanding of informal settlements will not only overcome narrow conceptions but may also encourage networked thinking for urban planning and design.

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