Regional planning: A failed or flawed project for Africa? Taking advantage of big data science on the horizon

IF 1.7 Q2 GEOGRAPHY

Regional Science Policy and Practice Pub Date : 2024-11-05 DOI:10.1016/j.rspp.2024.100151

Innocent Chirisa , Kenneth Odero , Tazviona Richman Gambe

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Abstract

This paper explores regional planning as an applied field of practice in Africa, where it is observed as a failed project or a flawed endeavour. In theory, regional planning (the practice) is based on regional science (the field of study) from which regional policy and regional development flow. The article advances the argument that Africa did not benefit from regional science in the past due to data scarcity. However, with the advent of big data and the data deluge caused by big data, regional science and regional planning stand to benefit. We argue that with the proliferation of big data, Africa can now tap into its opportunities and correct its ‘ugly’ past regarding regional planning. With big data and artificial intelligence (AI)-tools, coupled with skilled and capable people, Africa can effectively mine data and catch up with global trends in urban and regional planning. The study concludes that there is a need to embrace big data and mine data for African regional science and regional planning to be successful. In addition, the African regional planning project was not a failure, but it suffered a stillbirth due to a lack of data and related infrastructure.

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区域规划：非洲的失败项目还是缺陷项目？利用地平线上的大数据科学

本文探讨了作为非洲应用实践领域的区域规划，在非洲，区域规划被视为一个失败的项目或有缺陷的努力。从理论上讲，区域规划（实践）以区域科学（研究领域）为基础，区域政策和区域发展都源于区域科学。文章提出的论点是，由于数据匮乏，非洲过去并未从区域科学中获益。然而，随着大数据的出现以及大数据造成的数据泛滥，区域科学和区域规划将从中受益。我们认为，随着大数据的激增，非洲现在可以抓住机遇，纠正其在区域规划方面的 "丑陋 "过去。有了大数据和人工智能（AI）工具，再加上有技能、有能力的人才，非洲可以有效地挖掘数据，赶上城市和区域规划的全球趋势。研究得出结论，非洲区域科学和区域规划要想取得成功，就必须拥抱大数据并进行数据挖掘。此外，非洲区域规划项目并非失败，而是由于缺乏数据和相关基础设施而胎死腹中。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Regional Science Policy and Practice GEOGRAPHY-

CiteScore

3.60

自引率

5.90%

发文量

期刊介绍： Regional Science Policy & Practice (RSPP) is the official policy and practitioner orientated journal of the Regional Science Association International. It is an international journal that publishes high quality papers in applied regional science that explore policy and practice issues in regional and local development. It welcomes papers from a range of academic disciplines and practitioners including planning, public policy, geography, economics and environmental science and related fields. Papers should address the interface between academic debates and policy development and application. RSPP provides an opportunity for academics and policy makers to develop a dialogue to identify and explore many of the challenges facing local and regional economies.