Urban challenges and strategies in African cities – A systematic literature review

Kamana, Alanda A.; Radoine, Hassan; Nyasulu, Chimango

doi:10.1016/j.cacint.2023.100132

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 115 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Africa has the lowest proportion (~45%) of urban population compared to other continents, yet it is experiencing rapid urbanization, leading to overcrowded informal settlements in cities and posing a significant threat to the urban ecosystem and environment [70][71][72]. In this literature review, we examined the trends and patterns, identified gaps, and suggested future research emphasis for research on urban green spaces in Africa.…”

Section: Geographical Scope and Trend Of Ugs Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Urban Green Spaces in Africa: A Bibliometric Analysis

Muhoza,

Zhou

2024

Environments

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Africa has a lower proportion of urban areas compared to other continents, yet it is experiencing rapid urbanization, which is posing a significant threat to the urban ecosystem. This study presents the results of a bibliometric analysis from publications on urban green spaces (UGS) research in African cities. From the Web of Science, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and PubMed databases, 264 articles on UGS research in Africa were included in this study. This research topic experienced rapid growth, as more than 68% of all the articles were produced in the past five years, where about 63% of the studies included in this analysis were carried out in only four countries. Most of the studies were carried out at the intracity scale, with the main focus being on the ecosystem services provided by UGS. Change detection and overall UGS mapping studies show that high-income cities have a high percentage of UGS, while many African cities exhibited lower green coverage. We commend the work from researchers; however, there is still a gap to fill both in terms of high-quality datasets and state-of-the-art technology usage, and there is also a need for more comparative studies among cities and countries at the continental scale.

show abstract

Section: Geographical Scope and Trend Of Ugs Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Urban Green Spaces in Africa: A Bibliometric Analysis

Muhoza,

Zhou

2024

Environments

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…2 The urbanization process in Africa is more rapid than that in other continents, and is characterized by inequality, informal settlement expansion, and inadequate infrastructure, including healthcare. 3,4 These features have implications for urban health systems and could exacerbate barriers to improving health outcomes in urban settings. 5,6 Studies in African cities show poor maternal and perinatal health outcomes such as high institutional maternal mortality and inequitable coverage of maternal health services.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emergency obstetric care access dynamics in Africa’s cities: Analysis of women’s self-reported care-seeking pathways in Kampala city, Uganda

Catherine,

Lenka,

Josefien

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The rapid urbanization, particularly in Africa has posed several challenges that affect provision and accessibility of healthcare. The complex mix of providers, socio-economic inequalities, and inadequate infrastructure have been found to limit clients′ ability to reach and utilize routine and emergency health services. A growing body of literature shows poor health outcomes in African cities, including high institutional maternal mortality, which reflect poorly performing health systems. Understanding care-seeking pathways is necessary for improving health service delivery and ultimately improving health outcomes. We describe typologies and attributes of care-seeking pathways, using self-reported data from a cross-sectional survey of 433 women (15-49 years) who had obstetric complications, from nine health facilities in Kampala city. Participants′ average age was 26 (SD=6) years, and 55% (237/433) lived in the city suburbs. We identified four broad pathway sequences based on number and location of steps: pathways with one step, directly to a facility that could provide required care (42%, 183/433); two steps, mostly including direct referrals from basic and comprehensive obstetric facilities (40%, 171/433); three steps, including potentially delayed referral trajectories as women first return home (14%, 62/433); and ≥4 steps (4%, 17/433). Comprehensive obstetric facilities referred out 43% (79/184) of women who initially sought care in these facilities. Peripheral facilities referred 65% of women directly to the National Referral Hospital. Majority (60%, 34/57) of referred women first returned home before going to the final care facility. Our findings suggest that care pathways of women with obstetric complications in Kampala mostly comprise of at least two formal providers. This implies that efforts to strengthen urban health systems for maternal health should adopt broad or integrated approaches; and calls for improved inter-facility communication, streamlined referral processes and emergency transport availability. Future studies should investigate quality and experiences of care along the pathways.

show abstract

Advancing Urban Resilience Amid Rapid Urbanization: An Integrated Interdisciplinary Approach for Tomorrow’s Climate-Adaptive Smart Cities—A Case Study of Wuhan, China

Makvandi,

Li,

et al. 2024

Smart Cities

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This research addresses the urgent challenges posed by rapid urbanization and climate change through an integrated interdisciplinary approach combining advanced technologies with rigorous scientific exploration. The comprehensive analysis focused on Wuhan, China, spanning decades of meteorological and land-use data to trace extreme urbanization trajectories and reveal intricate temporal and spatial patterns. Employing the innovative 360° radial Fibonacci geometric growth framework, the study facilitated a meticulous dissection of urban morphology at granular scales, establishing a model that combined fixed and mobile observational techniques to uncover climatic shifts and spatial transformations. Geographic information systems and computational fluid dynamics were pivotal tools used to explore the intricate interplay between urban structures and their environments. These analyses elucidated the nuanced impact of diverse morphosectors on local conditions. Furthermore, genetic algorithms were harnessed to distill meaningful relationships from the extensive data collected, optimizing spatial arrangements to enhance urban resilience and sustainability. This pioneering interdisciplinary approach not only illuminates the complex dynamics of urban ecosystems but also offers transformative insights for designing smarter, more adaptable cities. The findings underscore the critical role of green spaces in mitigating urban heat island effects. This highlights the imperative for sustainable urban planning to address the multifaceted challenges of the 21st century, promoting long-term environmental sustainability and urban health, particularly in the context of tomorrow’s climate-adaptive smart cities.

show abstract

Urban challenges and strategies in African cities – A systematic literature review

Cited by 3 publications

References 115 publications

Urban Green Spaces in Africa: A Bibliometric Analysis

Urban Green Spaces in Africa: A Bibliometric Analysis

Emergency obstetric care access dynamics in Africa’s cities: Analysis of women’s self-reported care-seeking pathways in Kampala city, Uganda

Advancing Urban Resilience Amid Rapid Urbanization: An Integrated Interdisciplinary Approach for Tomorrow’s Climate-Adaptive Smart Cities—A Case Study of Wuhan, China

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About