InfUr- Seminar with Patrick Cobbinah — The Oddity of Desiring Informality

This seminar took place on Thursday 16th November 2023 with Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning Patrick Cobbinah.

Abstract: Informality has become central to urban sustainability and one of the most polemically debated topics in modern urban studies and human geography. In this presentation, my main argument is that informality in its current conception does not comprehend fully the colonial and neocolonial structures in Africa and fails to engage deeply enough to recognize informality’s indispensability and alter existing notions and patterns of inequalities. I reflect on the embodiment of informality as Africa’s urban culture and argue for its support to deliver sustainable outcomes.