Introduction to volume

Estimating population, urban and economic growth for Asian and African countries(United Nations 2014) highlights the need to draw up new design approaches that promote the development of original architectural languages appropriate to the local identity and to the new development models. These models support the consolidation and growth of local cultures and economies and at the same time aim at reducing energy consumption, minimizing environmental pollution, increasing the use of renewable sources and effectively responding to water demand. Therefore, a change of paradigm is required, together with a novel approach to urban (and peri-urban and rural) planning and usage of territories. In this per-spective, a holistic view should influence the entire built environment, i.e. the configuration of goods, the structure and use of land and the way in which basic services—such as energy, water, food and waste treatment—are handled. It is about working to move away from the current model of linear urban metabolism—based on the ‘take-make-dispose’ approach—to a circular one, where the consumption of resources and the waste production are minimized. The present book revolves around these issues and describes the contribution of the ABC Department of Politecnico di Milano regarding the multidisciplinary research and development (R&D) activities, carried (and being carried) out on these multifaceted issues. It presents a selection of innovative projects carried out in African countries, aiming at tackling two main areas: offering practical solutions to specific necessities and experimenting cost-effective methods and technologies that can be easily applied in order to achieve high-quality results.