'Here is a table’: Considering Contemporary African Public Spaces

Abstract

This special issue of The Journal of Public Space on “Public Space and Placemaking in African Cities” raises awareness and articulates the importance and value of urban public space in the context of the African continent. A key contemporary driver of such issues is the context of Africa's urbanisation, which is exponentially faster than comparable processes in the Global North. A vibrant, diverse and supportive public life in these contexts will increasingly become a critical public good, which will depend on the conceptualisation, design, development, process and maintenance of public space.
Already the continent’s vast diversity of communities and cultures is visible in the utilization of public open spaces such as streets and markets and the congestion of pedestrian activities therein. The so-called ‘informality’ of many of these urban conditions is indicative of the increasing imperatives of public space. Such spaces are often faced with extraordinary demands, not easily visible in cities of the Global North. They are often expected – or forced – to accommodate extensive forms of cultural diversity, from street markets and food and drink, to outdoor gyms and children’s playgrounds, to dance and ceremonies, and even the urban presence of cattle and livestock. Yet a lack of appropriate planning can also lead to conflict and an exacerbation of incidences of urban insecurity.