The report highlights the importance of building compact, more efficient cities. It proposes creating a sustainable national urban system across the country and makes recommendations to support the government’s five-year Growth and Transformation Plan.
In the face of an increasing urban population, Ethiopia can learn from the experience of other developing countries. In some developing countries too much growth was concentrated in rapidly expanding capital cities. This meant that they were later unable to keep up with their growth, having to tackle health-related problems caused by pollution and divert scarce resources to provide services such as basic housing and sanitation to a sprawling urban population.
To support the growth of Addis, the report recommends expanding a network of regional cities that evolve along strategic economic corridors, in-line with the government’s emerging urban development strategy. This would diversify economic activity and distribute wealth across the country, strengthening links with regional and international trading partners and accelerating development. By contrast, failing to set up this network would be a missed economic opportunity.