Toward an Embedded, Integrated, and Collaborative Approach to SDG Localization in African Cities

Abstract The African continent represents the key hub in the global transition to a predominantly urban world. Hence, the fate of African cities—and the global South more generally—will have major implications for the extent to which the world will be able to achieve globally agreed development goals, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Questions about what makes for effective take-up of the SDGs lie at the heart of this book’s aim and contribution. A key term in this regard is that of “localization.” This chapter makes a case for an approach to SDG localization that is embedded in the continent’s diverse local contexts. As an introduction to the book, this chapter departs from integrated perspectives and collaborative methodologies and outlines the ways in which the book’s chapters illustrate the need for advancing such an approach in African cities.