NYAC S4 E5: Informal Settlements, Inequality and African Cities

We are joined by special guest Wandile Mthiyane (@Wandile7) of Ubuntu Design Group to work through the questions: how did African cities come to be? How did Apartheid and Colonization shape the planning of major African cities like Nairobi, Lagos and Durban? We discuss informal settlements and the circumstances that result in their existence and ask, how do we support people who live in informal settlements without being paternalistic? How do we be better neighbors to them? We close the episode by sharing our vision for African Cities.

Resources: https://www.ted.com/talks/olutimehin_adegbeye_who_belongs_in_a_city

https://edition.cnn.com/2017/06/27/africa/otodo-gbame-demolition/index.html

https://medium.com/latterly/homeless-by-design-the-forced-evictions-in-otodo-gbame-daae4039cc3d

https://cda.co.ug/1130/historicizing-the-hustle-what-kenyas-colonial-legacy-tells-us-about-poverty-in-african-cities/

https://bittersoutherner.com/rural-studio-turns-20/#.W-yT7HpKg_U

Reading Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami Educated by Tara Westover

Watching Christmas Movies on Netflix and Hallmark Peppermint Candy by Lee Chang Dong

Listening to Highlife EP by Femi Leye (the brilliant force behind our theme music!) - EP It Was All a Dream by Distruction Boyz - Album Tiny Winey by Joaquin Ft. Krosfyah - Single J Cole Lecrae London Grammar

Keep any eye out for Wandlile’s book, Ubuntu in the Mumbulu and documentary, Child of Apartheid