Africa

Nairobi planners are promoting a new vision of the African nation criss-crossed with superhighways. Enrique Penalosa visited Nairobi last week to try to persuade them to reverse course.

President Mubarak of Egypt is allowing developers to create American-style suburban developments in dry desert land outside Cairo.

This post from The City Fix discusses the new bus rapid transit system that just opened in Johannesburg, South Africa, and why the system was sorely needed.

Amid recnt violence thought to be related to the country's plans to implement a bus rapid transit system, South Africa's national transport minister has vowed that the transportation project will move ahead.

Taxi and minibus drivers in Cape Town are concerned that a new Integrated Rapid Transport (IRT) system will put them out of work. The city cites lack of regulation, safety concerns, and standardized work hours as reasons the new system is necessary.

In an effort to replace slums with low-cost housing, Morocco is paying developers to create thousands of new apartments. Some slum residents see it as a boon, others say they couldn't afford the rent, even if it were subsidized.

South Africa is gearing up to host the 2010 World Cup next June. As it prepares to be the tournament's first African host, the country faces a number of hurdles.

Kenya's national railway operator is planning a high speed rail line to transport freight and passengers and could pose a challenge to the South African consortium that currently runs rail services between Kenya and Uganda.

2010 will bring with it a series of huge international events -- the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the World Cup in South Africa and the World Expo in Shanghai. Though seen as major opportunities for their hosts, these events can also be dangerous.

A new dedicated-lane bus rapid transit system has begun operations in Johannesburg, South Africa. The system is part of a nationwide plan to update public transit facilities as the country prepares to host the 2010 World Cup next June.

Significant interest and investment has descended on a plan to create vast solar power plants in the Sahara Desert to power Europe, but the challenges are great, says Reuters.

The box office hit "District 9" was shot in a real Soweto slum, and now the residents are hoping that the popularity of the film will lead to real improvements to the settlement.

Despite strong opposition from taxi driver associations, a new bus rapid transit system is set to open later this month in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Sahara desert is becoming increasingly green, according to satellite imagery -- which scientists are attributing to rising temperatures associated with global climate change.

Cape Town, South Africa is developing into the cultural center of the continent, according to this piece from Travel + Leisure.

The housing boom has busted in a tiny village in the West African country of Guinea, where homebuilders had constructed rows of new mud houses in hopes of cashing in on the rising demand for housing and its rising costs. Now, they sit empty.

Dense Cairo has few sanctioned public spaces. So residents make do wherever they can.

Officials in Lagos, Nigeria, are praising the recently installed Bus Rapid Transit system as making distinct improvements in mobility for the crowded and growing African city.

The Maldives has pledged to be entirely carbon-neutral by 2020. The president has hired a team of environmentalists to put the pledge into action.

Major office and retail projects are adding new life to Cape Town's central business district. Though much investment centers around South Africa's 2010 World Cup, many expect the CBD investments to continue for years.