Strategies of Case Research on African Urbanization and Planning

In this chapter we provide an introduction to the contemporary landscape of published case study research on African urban planning issues, based on a desktop literature review of relevant peer-reviewed journals. In particular, we are interested in the methodological strategies of existing case study research, more than its range of substantive themes and topics. Therefore we address the following questions in relation to the published case study literature: What do authors seek to do through their analysis of a case? Do they seek to contribute to policy and practice, theoretical advancement, or both, and if so, how are inductive, deductive and retroductive strategies employed? Identification of key thematic trends is a lesser priority, although several points are made based on insights emanating from the literature review process.