Aim & Scope

Mission Statement

Africa Habitat Review seeks to promote critical scholarship that interrogates and advances knowledge in the built environment. The journal fosters interdisciplinary inquiry that integrates architecture, planning, engineering, governance, environmental sciences, and socio-economic perspectives.

Its mission is to:

  • Support transformative research that responds to contemporary urban and rural challenges.
  • Encourage evidence-based policy analysis and applied research.
  • Strengthen African scholarship and amplify indigenous and contextual knowledge systems.
  • Contribute to sustainable development, climate resilience, and equitable spatial transformation.

AHR recognizes the built environment as central to human dignity, socio-economic growth, environmental sustainability, and cultural continuity.

Thematic Areas

The journal welcomes submissions in (but not limited to) the following thematic domains:

  • Architecture and Architectural Theory
  • Indigenous and Vernacular Architecture
  • Urban Design and Urban Planning
  • Construction Management and Construction Governance
  • Housing Policy, Informal Settlements and Social Housing
  • Infrastructure Development and Public Works Systems
  • Sustainability, Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience
  • Building Technology, Materials Science and Innovation
  • Heritage Conservation and Cultural Landscapes
  • Real Estate and Land Governance
  • Spatial Justice and Urban Informality
  • Built Environment Education and Professional Practice
  • Digital Transformation in the Built Environment

Interdisciplinary submissions that integrate policy, technical, environmental, and socio-cultural perspectives are particularly encouraged.

Geographic Focus

While Africa remains the journal’s primary focus, AHR welcomes comparative, cross-regional, and global studies that contribute to understanding built-environment challenges in:

  • Developing economies
  • Transitional societies
  • Emerging urban systems
  • Global South contexts

Comparative scholarship that situates African experience within broader global discourse is highly valued.

Types of Manuscripts Accepted

Africa Habitat Review publishes the following categories of scholarly work:

  • Original Research Articles (empirical, theoretical, or mixed-method studies)
  • Systematic and Critical Review Articles
  • Technical and Methodological Papers
  • Policy Analysis and Governance Papers
  • Practice-Based Case Studies
  • Short Communications
  • Book Reviews (by invitation)
  • Special Issue Contributions

All submissions undergo double-blind peer review.

Target Readership

The journal serves:

  • Academics and researchers
  • Postgraduate and doctoral students
  • Policymakers and regulatory agencies
  • Professional bodies in architecture, planning, engineering, and construction
  • Industry practitioners
  • Development partners and NGOs
  • Built environment educators

AHR aims to bridge scholarly research and professional practice.