The aim of The State of African Cities 2018: The geography of African investment report is to contribute to development policies that can turn African cities into more attractive, competitive and resilient foreign direct investment (FDI) destinations. Attracting global FDI is highly competitive and crosses various geographic scales, therefore regional cooperation by cities and nations is critical. But FDI is not a panacea since it has both positive and negative effects and careful choices need to be made by cities in their pursuit of FDI, if it is to lead to inclusive economic growth. This report aims to provide guidance on these choices and to facilitate understanding of the complexity of global investment in Africa.

Parallel to urbanization, Asia is undergoing rapid motorization. Asia is now home to around half a billion vehicles. It has been estimated that by 2035, both the vehicle population and motorization index will at least double in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, China and India from current levels (2012). In many countries, vehicle growth rates are higher than gross domestic product (GDP) growth rates. Despite projected high number of vehicles for 2035, the projected motorization index for Asia will still be considerably lower than the current motorization index of the developed world.

This report is the summary of the seminar ‘Sustainable Development of Public Transport in Africa’, held in Nairobi, Kenya. The event was jointly organised by UN-HABITAT, UITP (the International Association of Public Transport) and UATP (the African Association of Public Transport).

The meeting assembled experts from around the world to share knowledge and expertise with a focus on urban passenger mobility in Africa in preparation for the United Nations Commission of Sustainable Development’s 18th and 19th sessions in 2010 and 2011. The joint declaration and this report synthesise the key messages from the event.

This report covers the process and general debate of the Expert Group Meeting on Sustainable Mobility for African Cities in Dakar, Senegal, following the 1st UATP Congress on African Public Transport. The Expert Group meeting was jointly organised by UN-HABITAT, the African Bicycle Network, and the GTZ.

The Publication "Streets as Public Spaces and Drivers of Urban Prosperity" was launched by the UN-Habitat's Executive Director, Dr. Joan Clos, on 12 November 2013 at the UN-Habitat Headquarters, Nairobi.

A key finding of this report is "the expansion of cities has been accompanied by changes in land use, both in terms of form as well as structure. Streets, as public spaces, have lost their importance in terms of their share of land, as well as their prominent role in shaping the culture and history of cities."

Another key finding of this report is "prosperous cities are those that recognize the relevance of public spaces (with proper layouts) and those which have allocated sufficient land to street development, including sufficient crossings along an appropriate lengthy network. Those cities that have failed to integrate the multi-functionality of streets tend to have lesser infrastructure development, lower productivity and a poorer quality of life".

This illustrated report provides a rich collection of images of sustainable urban transport and mobility initiatives from cities around the world which are represented in the United Nations Advisory Committee of Local Authorities (UNACLA). The collection considers the current transport situation and challenges faced by each city - this includes high levels of energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, congestion, road casualties, urban sprawl, and social exclusion.

The report also describes how these cities have implemented creative solutions aimed at improved urban planning, traffic demand management, public transit, non-motorized transport, streetscape design, road planning, low-emission vehicles, and logistics planning. The ultimate goal for each of these cities is to improve the quality of urban life for its citizens.

Planning and Design for Sustainable Urban Mobility argues that the development of sustainable urban transport systems requires a conceptual leap. The purpose 'transportation' and 'mobility' is to gain access to destinations, activities, services and goods. Thus access is the ultimate objective of transportation.

As a result, urban planning and design should focus on how to bring people and places together, by creating cities that focus on accessibility, rather than simply increasing the length of urban transport infrastructure or increasing the movement of people or gods. Urban form and the functionality of the city are therefore a major focus of this report, which highlights the importance of integrated land-use and transport planning.

Planifier et configurer une mobilité urbaine plus durable part du principe que la mise au point de systèmes de transport urbain "durables" passe par un saut conceptuel. Le "transport" et la "mobilité" ont pour objet l’accés à diverses activités et destinations, divers biens et services. Par conséquent, l’accès constitue l’objectif ultime de tout service de transport. La planification et la configuration de la forme urbaines devraient donc se concentrer sur les meilleurs moyens de rapprocher les citadins des lieux dont ils ont besoin, en privilégiant l’accesibilité, au lieu de se contenter d’allonger les infrastructures de transport ou d’augmenter les mouvements de biens et de personnes. C’est donc sur les problèmes de la forme et du bon fonctionnement de la ville que se concentre surtout le présent rapport, qui souligne toute l’importance d’une planification intégrée de l’utilisation des sols et des transports.  

Planificación y diseño de una movilidad urbana sostenible sostiene que el desarrollo de sistemas de transporte urbano sostenible requiere un salto conceptual. El objetivo del "transporte" y de la "movilidad" es acceder a los destinos, las actividades, los sevicios y los productos. Por lo tanto, el acceso es la finalidad última del transporte. En consecuencia, la planificación y el diseño urbano deberían centrarse en cómo acercar las personas y los lugares, creando ciudades que se centren en la accesibilidad en vez de aumentar simplemente la longitud de la infraestructura de transporte urbano o incrementar la circulación de personas o mercancías. La forma urbana y la funcionalidad de la ciudad, por tanto, son un aspecto importante de seste informe, que pone de relieve la improtancia de la planificacion integrada del uso del suelo y del transporte.  

Planning and Design for Sustainable Urban Mobility argues that the development of sustainable urban transport systems requires a conceptual leap. The purpose 'transportation' and 'mobility' is to gain access to destinations, activities, services and goods. Thus access is the ultimate objective of transportation. As a result, urban planning and design should focus on how to bring people and places together, by creating cities that focus on accessibility, rather than simply increasing the length of urban transport infrastructure or increasing the movement of people or gods. Urban form and the functionality of the city are therefore a major focus of this report, which highlights the importance of integrated land-use and transport planning.