BETTER URBAN PLANNING URGED
Africa pays for fragmented cities, study finds
A World Bank study shows Africa’s cities are among the costliest in the world for businesses and households
In a city such as London, commuters who travel for an hour to get to work pass 2.5-million jobs on the way, some of which would match their skills — so those who lose a job have much opportunity to find another. In an African city such as Nairobi, most of those commuting for an hour would be walking to work, in which case they would pass only 10% of the city’s jobs, while those lucky enough to be riding one of the city’s taxis would pass only 20% of its jobs. The contrast reflects how fragmented and disconnected Africa’s cities are, according to a study by the World Bank of the concentration of jobs and housing across 64 cities on the continent, including in SA. The study finds that while African cities are crowded with people, they are not dense with investment, said World Bank lead economist Somik Lall. Because they are disconnected they are costly. The bank’s economists found Africa’s cities are among the costliest in the world for businesses and households. African cities are 29...
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