While the debate on the inevitability of explosive urbanization in Africa appeared to be over, new dynamics involving both the private and government enterprises in the rural areas gradually pull, voluntarily and involuntarily, the urban dwellers and rural migrants to new forms of urban settlement. The panel aims at identifying and discussing the features of these trends in African contexts, particularly in a setting of economic crisis, new opportunities beyond the major cities, exuberant projects of urban modernisation, and more expressive international migratory flows. How attractive are rural opportunities in agriculture, mining, border trade or tourism projects to the poor and vulnerable in the cities? What are new urban strategies and sociabilities in resettlement districts resulting from urban expansion of new modern projects? How does internal migration and movement relate and combine with the strategies dedicated to international migration? The panel aims bringing to the fore the possible comparisons between the African tendencies and those of other world contexts, as well as comparing the African cases within their own specificities. Moreover, it will be an opportunity to re-activate the urban-rural discussion in a renewed perspective.

To submitt a paper proposal for this panel, please send an abstract of 250 words via conference website1, along with contact details.

Convenor: Cristina Udelsmann Rodrigues, Nordic Africa Institute, Uppsala, Sweden (cristina.udelsmann.rodrigues[at]nai.uu.se)

• 1. https://asauk.conference-services.net/authorlogin.asp?conferenceID=4433&language=en-uk