10. Urban Decay and Regeneration in the African City

Urban degeneration is a challenge that is experienced in many cities throughout the world. The massive and complex migration of the population into the urban environment tends to be disordered, leading to untidy spaces; scarcity of resources; air pollution; health concerns; increased traffic challenges; deteriorating and ageing infrastructure, and inadequate waste management (Chourabi et al. 2012:2289). This shift of the population from primarily rural areas to urban areas is projected to continue into the future, and has resulted in more than half the population now living in urban areas (Chourabi et al. 2012:2289). As a result of productivity patterns and urban growth, many cities have a challenge, with underused land or distressed and declining urban areas, which result in the city’s livability, image and productivity dwindling (World Bank 2018).

Despite the various endeavours undertaken by many cities to address urban decline, numerous cities still grapple with streets full of litter, degenerated buildings and dumping. This chapter explores certain African cities’ efforts in addressing urban regeneration. A detailed perspective of the City of Durban within South Africa is presented with the intention to providing an analysis of both successful and failing actions and providing recommendations for African cities to potentially implement to ensure traction in urban regeneration programmes within cities.