Conceptualizing Small and Medium-Sized Cities and Resilience Planning Nexus for Africa’s Urban Futures
Abstract
Africa is currently undergoing an unprecedented urbanization process with small and medium-sized cities (SMCs) playing a significant role. Unlike global urbanization trends that often spotlight large cities and megacities, much of Africa's urbanization is happening in SMCs, where most of the population live, and with critical implications for resilience. Yet, SMCs are often overlooked in discussions about Africa's urban future as most research focuses primarily on large cities and megacities. By defining and examining the distinct characteristics of SMCs, the chapter highlights the resilience challenges they face, emphasizing the necessity for tailored urban planning strategies to strengthen their capacity to adapt and thrive. The chapter thus calls for a greater focus on Africa's SMCs to ensure that they become integral to efforts aimed at building and enhancing urban resilience and sustainability for diverse populations across the continent.
Publication Title
Planning for Resilient Small and Medium Sized Cities in Ghana
Recommended Citation
Donkoh, S., Abuosi, T., Okyere, S., & Diko, S. (2025). Conceptualizing Small and Medium-Sized Cities and Resilience Planning Nexus for Africa’s Urban Futures. Planning for Resilient Small and Medium Sized Cities in Ghana, 13-30. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003641612-3
