China is helping build Africa’s cities, but its approach sidelines local urban planners

The Nairobi-Malaba Standard Gauge Railway crossing Nairobi National Park in Kenya, built by China Road and Bridge Corporation.

Photo credit: Xinhua

As African cities experience some of the fastest urban growth rates in the world, China has become a major bilateral financier for urban infrastructure.

From Nairobi’s elevated expressways to Lagos’s airport upgrades and Addis Ababa’s new riverside developments, Chinese-backed projects are transforming skylines and daily life across the continent.