Charter Cities Podcast Heba Elhanafy and Matthew McCartney on Africa's Bad Urban Laws
Oct 18, 2023
25:38
On today's Charter Cities episode, host Jeffrey Mason is joined by colleagues Heba Elhanafy and Matthew McCartney to unpack the New Africa's Bad Urban Laws project. This initiative dissects laws in African cities hindering growth and community well-being. Additionally, Jeffrey reminds listeners of the upcoming Africa's New City Summit in Kigali, Rwanda. The team dives deep, discussing the reasons for and effects of detrimental urban laws, using instances like Zambia's land ownership as an example. Tune in for an insightful discussion on urban policies in Africa.
Key Points From This Episode:
- How urban laws negatively affect African urban environments across fiscal, administrative, and spatial planning
- The project exposes bad urban laws and questions their persistent existence in African cities
- Bad urban laws persist due to misunderstandings, political interests, and distributional benefits
- How Zambia's outdated land ownership laws, rooted in colonial times, benefit a few and hinder economic development
- Egypt's attempt to modernize land laws led to unique urban challenges affecting millions
- Urban physician reforms laws with expertise; urban politician navigates political realities for urban changes
- Interactive map showcases bad urban laws, allows user contributions for more awareness
- CCI's research aims for awareness through interactive maps and practical urban reform
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: