Research project The labours of new large-scale infrastructure projects in urban Africa

Their fast pace of construction make them constitutive of what has been termed ‘fast urbanism’. Yet, their implementation will inform city life for decades to come. Previous studies have analysed the political and economic drivers, qualities and consequences of these projects. However, few studies have analysed the lives, experiences and imaginations of ordinary people labouring in and around the construction sites of new infrastructure projects. This knowledge gap is problematic since the situation of ordinary workers is vital for local livelihoods as well as the production and maintenance of new infrastructures. This project aims to analyse how large-scale infrastructure projects in urban Africa shape local livelihood opportunities and the daily practices and experiences of infrastructure workers, and how these opportunities and practices change over time. The project builds on the growing literature on infrastructure in the social sciences, and more specifically bottom-up perspectives focusing on infrastructure and everyday life. The project will analyse and compare the situation of labourers working on, or in the vicinity of, infrastructure projects in Accra (Ghana), Maputo (Mozambique) and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania). Qualitative methods including semi-structured interviews, observations, and text- and media analysis will be used.