BEGIN:VCALENDAR
PRODID:-//Columba Systems Ltd//NONSGML CPNG/SpringViewer/ICal Output/3.3-
 M3//EN
VERSION:2.0
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20240214T115220Z
DTSTART:20231205T163000Z
DTEND:20231205T180000Z
SUMMARY:Reimaging urban reform: Emerging insights from the African Cities
  Research Consortium (ACRC)
UID:{http://www.columbasystems.com/customers/uom/gpp/eventid/}m2b3-lp140o
 vz-7xstwf
DESCRIPTION:With Diana Miltin (GDI)\, Shuaib Lwasa (ISS)\, Victoria Beard
  (Cornell)\, and more speakers TBC \n\n \nAfrica’s urban populations are
  set to double over the next 25 years\, reaching 1 billion people by 204
 0\, but residents remain frustrated about the lack of development opport
 unities. The political underpinnings of both urban opportunity and negle
 ct sit alongside a significant lack of investment in urban systems and i
 nadequate technical responses in the context of economic and spatial inf
 ormality.  \n \nACRC is a £32 million six-year investment by FCDO to und
 erstand how to programme better in African cities. Working with over 100
  experts\, mostly from Africa\, the GDI is coordinating this initiative 
 to initiate new perspectives on longstanding development challenges\, ex
 ploring how the urban reform frontier can be shifted forward in 12 focus
  cities.  \n \nResearch to date highlights the ongoing importance of urb
 an political economy and the self-interest of both national and urban po
 litical elites. We have found that there are multiple insecurities exper
 ienced by many residents\, and particularly by young people. Economic de
 velopment opportunities are inadequate\, and housing and public services
  are lacking for existing populations and unable to improve quickly enou
 gh for the growing population. While many cities should now be benefitin
 g from new policies to upgrade informal settlements and improve living c
 onditions\, for a majority of urban residents these political commitment
 s are not resulting in improvements on the ground. \n \nYet committed an
 d passionate urban reformers\, can be found across all cities – working 
 in local government\, organising local communities\, creating business o
 pportunities or researching solutions. One question we’re now trying to 
 answer is how urban reform coalitions can be nurtured to tackle systemic
 \, political problems within African cities. This event will draw upon d
 ifferent perspectives to summarise ACRC findings so far and the potentia
 l action research interventions we will pursue in the next phase.  \n \n
 
STATUS:TENTATIVE
TRANSP:TRANSPARENT
CLASS:PUBLIC
LOCATION:Theatre D\, Simon Building\, Manchester
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR