Africa's Rapid Urbanization Challenge

Increasingly congested cities with poor urban and transport planning

Over the last two decades, urbanization in Africa has grown at an average of 4.5% per year. It is projected that by 2050, Africa will be home to an additional 300 million urban residents. Faced with fast-growing urbanization and motorization rates, providing a sustainable response to Africa’s growing urban transport and mobility needs will be a struggle for most African cities, which are already struggling to control air pollution and keep up with the growing urban transport and mobility needs of its citizens.

Over 60% of African
people will live in urban areas by 2050
Growing by 4.5% annually, Africa
is the world's fastest urbanizing continent
80% of Africa's urban dwellers
don't have a motor vehicle, but this is changing quickly
Responsive image
Testimonial of Mr. Romain Kouakou, Director General of Land Transport and Mobility, Ministry of Transport, Cote d’Ivoire

 

SSATP's Response

An integrated approach to urban transport and mobility

Drawing on its extensive experience in policy formulation, SSATP developed the “EASI” (Enable / Avoid / Shift / Improve) framework to support African countries with developing strategies and policies that can help unlock the economic benefits of a well-functioning urban transport sector. The framework underpins all SSATP activities, which provide useful tools for developing safe, clean, and affordable urban transport systems for Africa's cities and urban areas.

To ensure the sustainable development of Africa's urban areas, SSATP promotes the adoption of an integrated approach to Urban Transport and Mobility (UTM) management that brings the urban transport and urban development agendas together to effectively address rapid and uncontrolled urbanization. SSATP supports its member countries by:

  • Fostering knowledge of, and the demand for, effective policies for sustainable urban transport and mobility.
  • Building the capacity of cities and metropolitan areas to design, adopt and implement effective policies for sustainable UTM management in Africa.

Overall, SSATP's policy interventions focus on providing technical and policy support to African cities, helping them apply and disseminate sustainable UTM policies and the related concept framework. It’s a step-by-step process starting with the launch of integrated urban transport studies for cities. These demand-driven studies cover critical thematic areas, focusing on the institutional aspects of developing and implementing mass transport projects while taking into account land use and transport planning for devising holistic urban transport master plans.

Towards Sustainable Urban Mobility

Delivering results on the ground

Urban Mobility Authority for Abidjan: SSATP supported the Government of Côte d’Ivoire in setting up the urban transport authority for the Greater Abidjan Metropolitan Area, named Grand Abidjan Mobilité, providing strategic guidance regarding the institutional setup, the organizational chart, the source of funding and the expertise and skills required to run the new agency. Grand Abidjan Mobilité is now in place and its operationalization is being supported by an ongoing World Bank funded project.

Leaders in Urban Transport Planning (LUTP) Training Program: In collaboration with the World Bank Group, SSATP organized LUTP training programs for its Anglophone and Francophone member countries. Through interactive discussions and case studies, the LUTP training program: (i) raises the profile of urban mobility awareness among leaders in urban transport; (ii) equips leaders in urban transport planning with the basic knowledge and tools needed for identifying, assessing, and implementing appropriate decisions for  improving urban transport; and (iii) provides a solid platform for learning and sharing experiences based on both the successes and failures of different countries and cities.

man walking in Ugandan city

Featured Publication

Policies for Sustainable Accessibility and Mobility in Urban Areas of Africa. This working paper assists African policy and decision makers with transforming their urban areas from obstacles to growth to engines of economic development and poverty alleviation. It proposes a set of policy recommendations structured using the EASI conceptual framework.

Knowledge in Practice

Building institutional capacities

With the goal of developing a holistic and integrated approach for addressing the urban mobility issues and challenges of Africa’s metropolitan areas, SSATP develops policy briefs and strategy guideline notes to boost the capacity of client countries to implement sustainable urban transport development and management programs. Serving as a roadmap for achieving sustainable urban transport and mobility (UTM), key recommendations include:

  • Strengthening the institutional framework for UTM management
  • Creating sources of dedicated funding for UTM management
  • Fostering effective civil society participation in UTM management
  • Improving land use and transport planning coordination and promoting multi-modal transport systems for cities 
  • Implementing public transport improvement programs, with a focus on leapfrogging paratransit reform through digitalization
  • Anticipating and delivering national government support for urban transport management in secondary cities

The general methodology underlying SSATP's urban transport and mobility activities involves identifying successful experiences and promoting their replication. The team not only engages in strong advocacy and knowledge dissemination activities, but also works in close collaboration with key stakeholders to mobilize their support for implementing and taking ownership of the recommended actions.

 

The Senegal Bus Renewal Program: From 2005 until 2023

The report, authored by Fatima Arroyo-Arroyo and Ajay Kumar, details the Senegal Bus Renewal…

Institutions in Motion: Learning from the Experience of Urban Mobility Organizing Authorities in…

This SSATP report provides a comprehensive analysis of urban mobility organizing authorities…

The Regulation of buses and minibuses: private sector participation as catalysts to reform in…

“The Regulation of buses and minibuses: private sector participation as catalysts to reform in…

Latest News & Events

Bridging the Gap: Capacity Building Workshops in Freetown and Kumasi Drive Public Transport…

April 15, 2024 

  In April 2024, two African cities, Freetown and Kumasi, hosted capacity-building workshops that brought together government officials and public transport operators to collectively address…

Paratransit / Popular Transportation Day @ Transforming Transportation 2024

March 21, 2024 

Thursday, March 21, 2024 The World Bank HQ MC C2-350 Join us for Paratransit / Popular Transportation Day (P/PTD) held on the sidelines of Transforming Transportation 2024.…

Building a Strong Foundation for Urban Mobility in Africa: Lessons from Urban Transport Authorities

February 29, 2024 

  Sub-Saharan Africa stands at a critical juncture, with its cities expanding at an unprecedented rate due to rapid urbanization. This surge in urban populations underscores the urgent need for…