Eggheads at the Department of Urban & Regional Planning, University of Lagos, will next week at a forum explore how African cities are facing up to the current global challenges.

At the Department's First National Conference organised to celebrate its 10th year anniversary, academics, urban planners, architects, estate valuers and other built environment industry practitioners will seek to unravel how cities across the world are responding to emerging socio-economic and ideological circumstances. The conference has "Emerging global cities: The African challenge" as its theme.

"Among the prominent factors influencing city identity and position are their economic strength, level of social and technical infrastructure, technology adoption, religious and ethnic inclinations and colonial influences," said Prof. S. O. Fadare, the Conference Committee chairman.

He added that African cities are on the most part unable to parade acceptable identities that could qualify them for favourable global ranking as they are grossly deficient especially in key development indicator areas.

Fadare listed major challenges facing African countries to include addressing geo-political, cultural and economic conflicts; as well as improving their urban façade without losing indigenous character and identity.

Head of Department, Dr. Leke Oduwaye, underlined the need for solutions to bring Africa out of the dilemma, saying, "Hence the timeliness and essence of the conference."

He said, "The conference will address a series of interdisciplinary issues which confront practitioners of urban planning and development, professionals across the environmental and social sciences and other urban stakeholders. Main speakers will include some of the world's leading thinkers in urban development and planning. It is our hope that ideas and reflections espoused in this conference will offer the basis for surmounting challenges in the areas of planning and governance of Africa's urban places."

Sub-themes include "The Contemporary African City," "Addressing Changes in Urban and Social Morphologies," and "Planning for Africa's Global Cities."

While Planning for Africa's Global Cities will explore such items like "Domains of responsibility," "Collaborations and public-private partnerships," "Safety and security," "Tourism and local economic development," "Cityscape planning," and "Pro-poor planning," Addressing Changes in Urban and Social Morphologies entails sub-items like "Impact of globalisation on the urban fabric," "Changing patterns and cultures of consumption," "Urban regeneration and new settlements" and "Economics of environment, culture and society."

Similarly, The Contemporary African City explores "Politics & governance," "Violence & crime," "Sustainability issues," "Land tenure and property issues" and "Women and children in African urban space."