As we continue our exploration into the multifaceted politics of gentrification, shifting our focus to the specific challenges faced by various countries within Africa, our eighth installment serves as a comprehensive case study. Building upon the groundwork laid in the seventh post, we delve deeper into the relationship between tourism, urban development, property development, and urban planning. In this context, we aim to provide a nuanced understanding of how these factors intertwine, drawing insights from scholarly sources cited in our prior discussions.
State-led greenfield developments: Satellite Towns and their Challenges
Africa, marked by economic disparities, grapples with state-led gentrification manifested through ambitious regeneration projects.
Figure 1: Mapping of countries with formal plans to establish Satellite Cities in the near future.
Tanzania (John et al., 2020), Mozambique (Roque, Mucavele & Noronha, 2016; 2020), Egypt (Eldaidamony & Shetawy, 2016), Ethiopia (Nunzio, 2022), Ghana (Nimo-Boakye & Badu-Nuamah, 2022), Nigeria (Godswill & Ukachukwu, 2018), Rwanda (Shearer, 2020), and Tunisia (Ben Salem, 2018) have all embarked on the journey of modernist master planning, looking to establish satellite towns in the hopes of alleviating housing demands and curb overcrowding (Horn & Visser, 2023). However, each country faces unique challenges in implementing these projects, influenced by their distinct economic, social, and political landscapes.
Drawing on insights from our book, Hamnett and Randolph's exploration of the flat break-up market in London lets us can discern parallels in the challenges faced by African countries in their pursuit of greenfield developments. The decline of private landlordism, the switch to break-up in central London, and changes in ownership structure in the British context offer valuable perspectives on how state-led initiatives in Africa might inadvertently contribute to gentrification challenges.
The surge in urbanization rates has necessitated innovative solutions to housing shortages, leading to the emergence of greenfield developments across the continent.
Figure 2: Mapping of established Satellite Cities.
From Kigamboni in Tanzania to Eko Atlantic City in Lagos, Nigeria, these satellite towns promise modern amenities and a Western lifestyle. Yet, the reality unfolds with challenges, including the inadvertent gentrification of these areas, exacerbating issues of marginalization and exclusivity. Each country's experience presents a diverse set of obstacles, reflecting the complexity of addressing housing demands in the face of rapid urbanization (Abubakar & Doan, 2017; Watson, 2014).
A Pan-African Perspective: The Nexus of Tourism and Property Development in Urban Planning
Beyond the satellite city frontier, another key gentrifying agent is the tourism opportunities presented by historical buildings. Local governments seek to preserve these structures for their cultural significance, employing urban design frameworks to enhance surrounding precincts. However, Mark (1996) states that the strategies employed, as seen in the case study of Zanzibar, Tanzania, may inadvertently result in displacement and marginalization as goals are achieved but local urban fabric and sociocultural networks are severed. This cautionary tale echoes across Mozambique, Ethiopia, and Rwanda, highlighting the pressing need to balance modernization aspirations with the preservation of socio-cultural fabric (Marks, 1996; Watson, 2012).
Hamnett and Randolph's examination of tenurial transformation and the flat break-up market sheds light on the consequences of changes in ownership structure. This perspective helps us understand the challenges faced by African countries in their pursuit of state-led greenfield developments, emphasizing the unintended outcomes that may contribute to gentrification.
The case study of Zanzibar has existed since the 1990s, and despite this warning, this same textbook sequence of events has been replicated throughout countries in East Africa; local governments promulgate policy looking to protect their rich culturally history but fail to plan for the displacement it inevitably will cause. Watson (2012) believes that the reasoning for ignoring this warning resides in the city’s aspiration to reach world-class status, the consequences of external investment, and profit-driven entities.
Our exploration aligns with scholarly discourse on tourism's influence on property values, acting as a precursor to gentrification. The transformation extends beyond housing into consumption hotspots, triggering demographic shifts and class ascendance. However, the interplay of state-led initiatives, private capital, and neoliberal policies manifests differently in each African context, contributing to the intricate tapestry of gentrification challenges (Horn & Visser, 2023; Cocola-Gant & Lopez-Gay, 2020).
Within African urban development, the nexus of tourism, property development, and urban planning unfolds as a powerful catalyst for gentrification. Urban planners must not only navigate the consequences of state-led initiatives and private capital but also grapple with the unique challenges presented by each country's context.
Reference list:
Smith, N. and Williams, P. eds., 2013. Gentrification of the City. Routledge.
John, S., Mcgranahan, G., Mkanga, M., Ndezi, T., Stephen, S. and Tacoli, C., 2020. The churn of the land nexus and contrasting gentrification processes in Dar es Salaam and Mwanza, Tanzania. Environment and Urbanization, 32(2), pp.429-446.
Eldaidamony, M. and Shetawy, A., 2016. Gentrification Indicators in the Historic city of cairo. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 225, pp.107-118.
Nimo-Boakye, A. and Badu-Nuamah, S., 2022. The impact of gentrification on Sunyani Municipality Development in Ghana. African Journal of Applied Research, 8(1), pp.340-350.
Godswill, O.C. and Ukachukwu, A.G., Gentrification and Environmental Justice in Nigerian Cities. International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Science, 5(3), p.237402.
Salem, M.B., 2018. The Reconfiguration of Ennahdha’s Recruitment Strategy in Tunisia. Issue Brief, 4.
Abubakar, I.R. and Doan, P.L., 2017. Building new capital cities in Africa: Lessons for new satellite towns in developing countries. African Studies, 76(4), pp.546-565.
Watson, V., 2014. African urban fantasies: dreams or nightmares?. Environment and urbanization, 26(1), pp.215-231.
Roque, S., Mucavele, M. and Noronha, N., 2020, September. The city and the Barracas: Urban change, spatial differentiation and citizenship in Maputo. In Urban Forum (Vol. 31, No. 3, pp. 331-349). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands.
Di Nunzio, M., 2022. Work, development, and refusal in urban Ethiopia. American Ethnologist, 49(3), pp.401-412.
Shearer, S., 2020, September. The city is burning! Street economies and the juxtacity of Kigali, Rwanda. In Urban Forum (Vol. 31, No. 3, pp. 351-371). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands.
Cocola-Gant, A. and Lopez-Gay, A., 2020. Transnational gentrification, tourism and the formation of ‘foreign only’ enclaves in Barcelona. Urban studies, 57(15), pp.3025-3043.
Horn, A. and Visser, G., 2023. Tourism Gentrification in Urban Africa: Towards a Research Agenda. Studia Periegetica, 43(3), pp.7-24.
Cocola Gant, A., 2018. Struggling with the leisure class: Tourism, gentrification and displacement (Doctoral dissertation, Cardiff University).
Sigler, T. and Wachsmuth, D., 2020. New directions in transnational gentrification: Tourism-led, state-led and lifestyle-led urban transformations. Urban Studies, 57(15), pp.3190-3201.
Ghertner, D.A., 2015. Why gentrification theory fails in ‘much of the world’. City, 19(4), pp.552-563.
"Within African urban development, the nexus of tourism, property development, and urban planning unfolds as a powerful catalyst for gentrification." Remember this when you start working - especially of you are going to become a property developer. It is critical to have a broad understanding of the interplay between these dimensions of so-called 'progress.'