Sana'a, the capital of Yemen and facing one of the most severe water crises of any city in the world, may have an answer in a startlingly simple project to help households reconfigure their onsite water storage systems to collect their own rainwater.
Spared the same degree of civil unrest as its neighbours elsewhere in the Middle East have witnessed, Doha is part of Qatar's push to become an urban exemplar for the region, diversifying away from an oil-based economy by investing in education, enterprise, sport, transport and the quality of the public realm.
Another shack fire broke out in Cape Town last month, killing one woman and affecting 1,500 residents. Andrew Fleming reports on the City's response, residents' attitudes, and recent initiatives that may alleviate the problem.
Lots of 'solutions' get presented at events like the Urban and Housing Development conference in Cape Town, but can a model be sustainable if it excludes large parts of the city?
It is common knowledge that sub-Saharan Africa is urbanising faster than anywhere else in the world ... but what if we're wrong?!
Future Cities, organised by Economist Conferences, is a major international conference…
How can we reimagine a public space divided by civil war, sectarianism and redevelopment? Rather than sophisticated urban design, Tanya Gallo argues that allowing public space to retain its indeterminacy will keep it accessible for all citizens.
The breakdown of Cape Town's Housing Indaba shows how much such a forum is needed, but also shows how unready the city's stakeholders are for constructive collaboration.
Because so much damage has already been done to the world’s ecosystems, we need to start thinking of regenerative rather than just sustainable urban development.
The 'smart city' concept has existed for several years, but only now, with some trial and error, are we seeing the real fruits of these efforts coming to light.
Sana'a, the capital of Yemen and facing one of the most severe water crises of any city in the world, may have an answer in a startlingly simple project to help households collect their own rainwater.
Africa is not urbanising as rapidly as we think. What are the implications for the business world, or for the possibilities for local economic development?
Andrew Fleming (Twitter: @AndrewSFleming) works as the Senior Researcher at the Cape Town Partnership, a non-profit company dedicated to the…
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The Global Urbanist is an online magazine reviewing urban affairs and urban development issues in cities throughout the developed and developing world.
Its readers are drawn from the urban policy and international development sectors, and include urban planners, officers in local, national or international government agencies, civil society leaders, and researchers.
