Abstract
Africa and Asia are two of the world's least urbanized regions. But they are fast urbanizing; eighty per cent of the world's projected urban growth to 2050 is expected to take place in Africa and Asia. Even though cities in Africa and Asia are increasingly recognized as engines of growth, they are sites of extremely high population densities, congestion, informal housing and concomitant expansion of slums and squatter settlements, infrastructure shortages and environmental degradation. As rapid urbanization continues, how Africa and Asia manage the urban transition will not just affect urban economic efficiency but will also define their greenhouse gas footprint. This chapter compares the urbanization of both regions and discusses the challenges and opportunities for transition towards sustainable urbanization.(3)