Overview

Journal History

Africa Habitat Review (AHR) is a rigorously peer-reviewed, fully open-access scholarly journal published by the University of Nairobi. Established in 2006, the journal serves as a dedicated platform for advancing high-quality, interdisciplinary research in architecture, urbanism, construction governance, housing policy, sustainability, infrastructure systems, and the broader built environment within Africa and comparable global contexts.

In 2019, AHR transitioned to a fully digital, online publishing platform, strengthening its accessibility, visibility, and long-term preservation capacity. This transition marks a significant milestone in the journal’s evolution, aligning it with contemporary scholarly communication standards and expanding its global reach.

The journal is founded within the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment and Design, University of Nairobi, in response to the growing need for a rigorous, peer-reviewed outlet dedicated to contextual, evidence-based research addressing Africa’s spatial, environmental, infrastructural, and governance challenges.

Since its inception, AHR:

  • Elevates African scholarship in the built environment.
  • Provides a platform for interdisciplinary research bridging theory, policy, and practice.
  • Strengthens governance, sustainability, and professional standards in construction and spatial development.
  • Promotes indigenous knowledge systems and contextual architectural traditions.
  • Contributes to continental and global academic discourse on habitat, urbanisation, and sustainability.

AHR functions as an intellectual bridge between academia, policy, and professional practice. It prioritises scholarship that advances spatial justice, environmental stewardship, governance reform, technological innovation, and inclusive development across Africa and other emerging economies.

The journal continually strengthens its editorial processes, peer-review systems, and publication ethics framework to align with internationally recognised standards. It operates under a double-blind peer review system and maintains strict adherence to academic integrity, research transparency, and ethical publishing practices consistent with the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

AHR evolves in response to contemporary challenges, including:

  • Climate change and resilience planning
  • Informal urbanisation
  • Infrastructure deficits
  • Housing inequity
  • Digital transformation in construction and design
  • Sustainable development imperatives across Africa

Through its open access model, AHR ensures equitable dissemination of knowledge and supports the democratisation of research access for scholars, practitioners, policymakers, institutions, and postgraduate researchers.

Publisher

Africa Habitat Review is published by the University of Nairobi, Kenya’s premier public research university and one of Africa’s leading institutions of higher learning.

The journal is housed within the Department of Architecture at the University of Nairobi’s Faculty of Built Environment and Design.

As a university-based journal, AHR benefits from institutional oversight, academic governance structures, and a strong research culture grounded in scholarly excellence and public service.

The University of Nairobi provides:

  • Institutional hosting and digital publishing infrastructure
  • Editorial support through the Faculty of Built Environment and Design
  • Integration within the university’s research and publication frameworks
  • Archival support through the institutional repository
  • Participation in digital preservation initiatives
  • Commitment to long-term accessibility of the scholarly record

The publisher affirms editorial independence, ensuring that all editorial decisions are made by the Editorial Board solely based on academic merit, originality, methodological rigor, and contribution to knowledge.

The University of Nairobi upholds principles of:

  • Academic freedom
  • Ethical research conduct
  • Transparency in governance
  • Commitment to sustainable development
  • Knowledge generation for societal transformation

Editorial Governance

Africa Habitat Review operates under a structured editorial governance framework comprising:

  • Editor-in-Chief
  • Associate Editors
  • Section Editors
  • International Editorial Board
  • Peer Review Panel

All editorial decisions are guided by scholarly integrity, impartiality, confidentiality, and adherence to established ethical publishing standards. The journal maintains transparency in editorial processes and conflict-of-interest management.

Institutional Commitment

The establishment and continued growth of AHR reflect the University of Nairobi’s broader mandate to:

  • Advance research excellence
  • Promote innovation in the built environment sector
  • Support policy-relevant scholarship
  • Strengthen regional and continental research collaboration
  • Enhance Africa’s contribution to global knowledge systems

Through the Africa Habitat Review, the University of Nairobi reaffirms its leadership in built-environment scholarship, sustainability research, and governance innovation.