Africa
Africa: From Crisis to Opportunity (AFCO)
Date: July 2017 – Jan. 2018
Client: Gov’t of Austria, via IPA / Switxboard
Role: SDZ Technical Lead
Conflict, climate change, and economic factors are putting more and more people on the move throughout Africa. Many of these people ultimately seek freedom and opportunities in cities beyond Africa – and specifically in Europe. For some of them, a life-threatening voyage across the Mediterranean is better than where they are.
Recognizing this, Politas helped the Austrian Chancellor’s office develop an Africa-wide strategy for creating urban special development zones (SDZ) where African migrants and host communities can unlock the potential of migrant communities through special development zones. SDZs provide a meaningful alternative to either crossing to Europe or living in refugee camps and slums. Our team evaluated the opportunities and challenges to developing new migrant-inclusive SDZs and their potential impact on the continent. We developed governance models, infrastructure proposals, and health, education, and financial service frameworks.