Utopia hosted a virtual event on Urban Innovation in Africa in partnership with the Skoll World Forum.

The future of cities is in Africa. Thirteen of the twenty largest megacities in the world will be in Africa by the end of the century. African cities will double in size by 2050. That explosion in growth has already begun. Much of these cities’ systems and infrastructure has yet to be built. A new model of urban growth can take hold in Africa.

Who are the urban innovators currently shaping the future of African cities and how can they be supported? What lessons can African urban practitioners and innovators learn from the work of researchers, investors and urban practitioners on how cities have evolved globally? What trends will likely drive Africa’s urban future? During this event we explored these questions through the perspective of leading urban practitioners and innovators. Utopia also announced its Lagos Urban Innovation Challenge and its broader work in supporting urban innovation across Africa.

CONTRIBUTORS

Edward Glaeser is one of the world's leading urban economists and author of the best selling book, Triumph of the City. He's taught at Harvard since 1992 where his work has focused on the determinants of city growth and the role of cities as centers of idea transmission.

Abosede Alimi is the Director of Strategy, Funding and Stakeholder Management at the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund. She's working to deliver the LSETF's mandate of creating jobs in Africa's largest city, Lagos.

Miriam Roure is passionate about improving cities through technology and design. She is the Program Director at URBAN-X, an accelerator built by MINI and Urban Us, dedicated to investing in and supporting entrepreneurs developing urban solutions. Previously, Miriam worked at MIT Senseable City Lab, a research laboratory dedicated to exploring the future of cities from a data and sensor-based technology perspective.

Astrid Haas is the Policy Director of the International Growth Centre, based in Uganda, where she manages and carries out policy-based research on cities based on demand from the government. Her research specialises in urban economics, specifically in the areas of municipal finance, urban mobility and land tenure.

George Kibala Bauer is Advocacy Manager in the GSMA Mobile for Development Utilities programme, which seeks to leverage digital solutions to drive more affordable and more reliable energy, water, and sanitation services in developing countries. His recently published report Digital Solutions for the Urban Poor, looks at how urban innovators across Africa and Asia are improving basic service provision in the context of rapid urbanisation. Follow him on twitter @gfkkb.

Emmanuel Adegboye (Moderator) is the Managing Partner of Utopia Lagos and is leading Utopia’s emerging efforts across Africa. Previously, he designed and led Andela’s Entrepreneurship Center. He also managed programmes and strategic initiatives in support of talent development for Africa's most talented software developers. He has a thorough knowledge of African entrepreneurship ecosystems and proven track record in designing and implementing programs that support entrepreneurs. He is a 2019 Skoll World Forum Fellow.