Urbanisation in developing countries, particularly in Africa and Asia, is one of the defining trends of the 21st century, and has profound economic, social and environmental effects. While these effects may be either positive or negative, depending on how urban services are managed, no country has ever experienced significant development progress without undergoing a major population shift towards cities.

This paper builds on ongoing research to map relevant trends in the African continent and propose new directions for the EU’s urban agenda for Africa. It identifies priority issues, outlines the EU’s funding instruments and makes a number of recommendations for EU engagement with cities.