The Undulating Capacity of the State: Autochthony and Infrastructure Development in African Cities

— —

Ato Kwamena Onoma (University of Toronto)

The Undulating Capacity of the State

Autochthony and Infrastructure Development in African Cities

Ato Kwamena Onoma (University of Toronto)

$173.95 $139.01

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Cambridge University Press
04 September 2025

Development studies; Indigenous peoples; Comparative politics; Regional government; Political economy

Series: Elements in the Politics of Development

This Element weaves together literatures on autochthony and belonging and on African urbanism to shed new light on the ability of the African state to undertake development interventions in some of the most important urban centers on the continent. It explains variations in levels of trust in the African state that shape neighborhoods' responses to states' development interventions. Focusing on the Senegalese state's construction of the VDN 2 highway on the outskirts of the capital, Dakar, the author argues that in major African cities with colonial origins, whether neighborhoods project themselves as 'autochthonous' or 'migrant' communities shapes general attitudes toward the state and influences the capacity of the state to carry out development interventions in these areas. In these cities, states are more likely to successfully intervene in neighborhoods dominated by 'new' migrants to the city than in those neighborhoods that portray themselves as 'autochthones' of these cities.

By: Ato Kwamena Onoma (University of Toronto)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
ISBN: 9781009698375
ISBN 10: 1009698370
Series: Elements in the Politics of Development
Pages: 86
Publication Date: 04 September 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

1. Introduction; 2. On state capacity in Africa; 3. Autochthony and the undulating capacity of the state; 4. Cambérène: Intervening among guarded autochthons; 5. Parcelles assainies: Intervening in a 'new' neighborhood; 6. Conclusion; List of abbreviations; References.