Africa's new megacities: sustainable urbanism, climate urbanism or megalopolises of exclusionary enclaves

Urbanization has changed the global ecological space, having an impact on the lives of the people. However, urbanization has also come with wicked policy problems ranging from climate change, insecurity, urban poverty and socio-economic inequalities. In this chapter, the current megacity phenomenon and policy issues that surround it are explored. According to the current data, the world’s population growth in urban areas between 2018 and 2050 is projected to be 2.5 billion, with most urban dwellers residing in Africa and Asia (Lerch 2017). It is predicted that until 2030, developing countries will continue to experience urban growth. Of all megacities, a larger percentage of megacities are situated in the world’s less developed economies. The increasing population growth and rapid economic prosperity are envisaged to contribute massively to Africa’s developmental expedition (Bafana 2016). The emergence of contemporary megacities in Africa is cogitated as a new phenomenon. Africa’s emerging megacities are hubs of innovation and creativity for development. Megacities are known for talents, innovative thoughts and ideas that can be transformed into development (Nawrot et al. 2017). Based on the current urbanization trends, Africa is projected to experience the fastest urban growth in the world. By 2050, cities in Africa will accommodate an extra 950 million people (OECD 2020).