Editorial : Can African Cities Be Transformed Through New Urban Transport Projects?

By Marie Dols, Urban Planning and Mobility Expert

Across Africa, projects involving Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), high-level service buses (BHNS), metro systems and urban railways are multiplying. In Abidjan, Dakar, Nouakchott, Nairobi and Addis Ababa, these infrastructures are generating high expectations. They are expected to respond to the rapid growth of cities, improve accessibility, reduce congestion and support economic development. But one question remains: can these projects truly transform the city, or do they risk remaining mere transport infrastructure?

This bulletin accompanies the International Conference on Sustainable Mobility and Climate, which will take place in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, from 19 to 22 October 2026. Jointly organised by CODATU, Climate Chance and the Greater Abidjan Urban Mobility Authority (AMUGA), this event provides an opportunity to foster dialogue between mobility, urban planning and climate action.

The contributions gathered here offer insights and experiences to inform these discussions. They invite us to move beyond a strictly technical understanding of mobility. They show that the success of a project depends as much on roads, stations and vehicles as on its ability to fit into territories, take account of mobility practices and bring together the stakeholders concerned.

Julien Allaire opens this reflection by analysing the development of BRT and BHNS systems across the African continent and their potential to sustainably structure urban growth. Raymond Deschamps then reminds us that the success of transport networks depends above all on multi-stakeholder governance capable of ensuring coordination between different modes of transport and scales of intervention.

Drawing on the experience of ABA-WORKSHOP, Nelly Bussac advocates an approach centred on users' lived experiences and the quality of their journeys. Through a terminus project in Nouakchott, Manuel Vieitez illustrates the importance of adapting solutions to local contexts rather than transferring models designed elsewhere. From Abidjan, Magali Kreitmann highlights the strategic role of multimodal transport hubs in building an integrated mobility system.

The floor is also given to practitioners working in the field. Quentin Lefèvre shows how observing mobility practices and using sensory mapping can help better understand residents' needs. Alioune Thiam examines the conditions for more effective integration between public transport and pedestrian mobility in Dakar. Finally, Marie Dols reflects on the lessons learned from urban analyses conducted around the future stations of Abidjan's BRT and on the need to conceive transport hubs as genuine urban development projects.

To conclude this issue, Marie-Zoé Ramondou and Charlène Kouassi offer a cross-cutting analysis of all these contributions. They remind us that the performance of a transport project is measured not only by its infrastructure, but also by its ability to integrate into territories, mobility practices and existing stakeholder systems.

One conviction thus runs throughout this bulletin: mass public transport systems can be powerful drivers of urban transformation, provided they are supported by inclusive governance, a detailed understanding of mobility practices and continuous integration between mobility and the wider urban development project.