Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Informality and Temporary Urbanism as Defiance: Tales of the Everyday Life and Livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa

Bakare, Hakeem ; Stevens, Stuart Denoon and Melgaço, Lorena LU (2020) p.61-72
Abstract
The role of informality in African citizens’ everyday survival reflects the strategies and attitudes of citizens towards state plans and policies. This chapter dissociates the discussion of temporary urbanism from its typical Global North perspective to explore how this concept plays out in a Southern context, namely Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We look at the relationships between temporary urban settlements, citizens’ resilience to socio-economic deprivation, loss of trust in government, and resistance to neoliberal policies in such a context. The chapter begins with a historical account of informality in SSA in order to explain its socio-political construction in the present. We then explore how informality is addressed in its... (More)
The role of informality in African citizens’ everyday survival reflects the strategies and attitudes of citizens towards state plans and policies. This chapter dissociates the discussion of temporary urbanism from its typical Global North perspective to explore how this concept plays out in a Southern context, namely Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We look at the relationships between temporary urban settlements, citizens’ resilience to socio-economic deprivation, loss of trust in government, and resistance to neoliberal policies in such a context. The chapter begins with a historical account of informality in SSA in order to explain its socio-political construction in the present. We then explore how informality is addressed in its ‘temporariness’ as a state strategy to evade the realities of African cities or to avoid providing adequate housing. The overall argument of this chapter is that there is a need for attitudinal change in the political disposition to informality, which could help to recognise the value and permanence of informality in SSA. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Informality, Urban planning, Temporary urbanism, Resilience indicators, Sub-Saharan Africa
host publication
Transforming Cities Through Temporary Urbanism
editor
Andres, Lauren and Zhang, Amy Y.
pages
12 pages
publisher
Springer International Publishing
external identifiers
  • scopus:85098004637
ISBN
978-3-030-61753-0
DOI
10.1007/978-3-030-61753-0_5
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
Series Title: The Urban Book Series
id
e315b0fb-f34f-463d-95d5-2ca89695bd54
alternative location
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-030-61753-0_5
date added to LUP
2021-08-30 17:06:17
date last changed
2022-04-19 07:49:21
@inbook{e315b0fb-f34f-463d-95d5-2ca89695bd54,
  abstract     = {{The role of informality in African citizens’ everyday survival reflects the strategies and attitudes of citizens towards state plans and policies. This chapter dissociates the discussion of temporary urbanism from its typical Global North perspective to explore how this concept plays out in a Southern context, namely Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We look at the relationships between temporary urban settlements, citizens’ resilience to socio-economic deprivation, loss of trust in government, and resistance to neoliberal policies in such a context. The chapter begins with a historical account of informality in SSA in order to explain its socio-political construction in the present. We then explore how informality is addressed in its ‘temporariness’ as a state strategy to evade the realities of African cities or to avoid providing adequate housing. The overall argument of this chapter is that there is a need for attitudinal change in the political disposition to informality, which could help to recognise the value and permanence of informality in SSA.}},
  author       = {{Bakare, Hakeem and Stevens, Stuart Denoon and Melgaço, Lorena}},
  booktitle    = {{Transforming Cities Through Temporary Urbanism}},
  editor       = {{Andres, Lauren and Zhang, Amy Y.}},
  isbn         = {{978-3-030-61753-0}},
  keywords     = {{Informality; Urban planning; Temporary urbanism; Resilience indicators; Sub-Saharan Africa}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{61--72}},
  publisher    = {{Springer International Publishing}},
  title        = {{Informality and Temporary Urbanism as Defiance: Tales of the Everyday Life and Livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61753-0_5}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/978-3-030-61753-0_5}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}