Sustainable Urban Infrastructure Planning in African Cities: A Systematic Review of Policies, Practices, and Outcomes

The review evaluates sustainable urban infrastructure development in African cities through its assessment of three elements, which include existing policies, governance systems, and actual results of implementation efforts during rapid urban growth. The study examined 20 peer-reviewed articles between 2017 and 2026 with Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar as its sources based on PRISMA guidelines. Thematic analysis explored patterns in green infrastructure, transport systems, policy design, and governance structures. The review demonstrates that top-down planning methods obstruct execution, while fragmented governance systems and restricted local decision-making authority prevent organisations from developing their full potential. Cities are prioritising infrastructure development projects because they consider climate change to be their most important issue. The evidence demonstrates that green infrastructure supports sustainable development when organisations establish effective governance systems that work together. The cases demonstrate that organisations must work together with stakeholders to create solutions that use local measures to achieve their goals. Sustainable transport investments provide organisations with economic advantages and improved safety outcomes because they generate cost reductions and decrease accident occurrences. The review demonstrates that planning processes require decentralised systems which use participatory methods and further research across various settings to produce strong evidence about governance systems.